The Portuguese star surprised the football world by leaving Madrid for Turin in a move that has deprived fans of more meetings with his great rival
What is a hero without a villain? Whichever side you sit on in the great Clasico divide, or even if you are a neutral, one thing is for certain: Real Madrid versus Barcelona simply will not have the same spice without Cristiano Ronaldo against Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese and the Argentine have dominated modern football, winning the past 10 Ballons d'Or between them and pushing each other onto new levels. While there is respect off the pitch, they are desperate to beat one another on it.