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Former La Liga goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez has shared his candid experiences of facing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, describing Messi as a “nightmare” while admitting he preferred the challenge posed by Ronaldo, Soccernet.football reports.
Jimenez, who played for clubs like Atletico Madrid, Espanyol, and Real Zaragoza, spent years battling football’s finest in Spain.
Reflecting on those moments during an appearance on the Los Fulanos podcast, the 38-year-old goalkeeper revealed the contrasting difficulties of facing the two icons.
“I could never stop Messi,” Jimenez confessed to the Mirror. “Whenever he got close, he scored. Cristiano plays differently and gives you more chances to stop him, so it is more fun.”
Messi scored an astounding 13 goals against Jimenez in their seven encounters, including a hat-trick and four braces.
Such was Messi’s dominance that Jimenez refrained from asking the Argentine for his jersey, despite being a collector of memorabilia.
“I never wanted Messi’s shirt. Now I regret it,” he said. “I didn’t even have the strength to approach him because he always humiliated me.”
The former goalkeeper recalled feeling “ashamed” after matches against the Barcelona legend.
“He made me feel very bad. I know how many goals he scored against me because a beer brand once sent a bottle for every Messi goal scored against a goalkeeper. I have 13 at home,” Jimenez quipped.
In contrast, Jimenez found facing Ronaldo more enjoyable, as the Portuguese forward’s style offered moments for heroics.
“With Cristiano, you’d get opportunities to make saves,” he noted. “He’d take the ball, turn around, and head it multiple times. I’ve made some great saves against him, so the battle was more balanced.”
Having retired in 2022 after a two-year stint with Valladolid, Jimenez lauded Ronaldo’s longevity. “Cristiano’s great virtue is his perseverance and physique. At nearly 40, he’s performing as if he’s 25, which is remarkable,” he said.
However, it’s Messi who still haunts his thoughts. “Messi gave us no chance to compete. His superiority made us feel powerless. On the field, there was just no way to stop him—not even with fouls.”
Despite his struggles against Messi, Jimenez joins a list of goalkeepers who have suffered at the Argentine’s hands, including Iker Casillas, who conceded 18 times, and Diego Alves, who holds the record with 21.
Jimenez concluded with admiration for both players: “As fans, we’ve been privileged to watch them. But for those of us on the pitch, Messi was simply unbeatable.”
