Patrice Evra reveals that he once shared a meal with Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has joked that Lionel Messi should avoid sitting down at a table with him anytime soon
Patrice Evra joked that Lionel Messi should continue to avoid his potential lunch date with Cristiano Ronaldo, as it will just feel like another “training session”.
Back in 2019, Ronaldo famously sat next to his greatest rival Messi at the Champions League draw and told a TNT reporter he wanted to share a meal with the dazzling Argentinian. The reporter asked the pair if they missed playing against each other, to which Messi replied in Spanish.
However, Ronaldo said: “I was curious because we shared the stage for 15 years, me and him, I don’t know if it’s ever happened in football, the same two guys in the same stage all the time. So it is not easy, and of course we have a good relationship. We’ve not had dinner together yet but I hope in the future [it will happen].”
Not long after the invitation, Messi spoke out and told SPORT that he would accept anything that Ronaldo requested his way – which included a dinner. He said in 2019: “Yes, I don’t have any problem with that.
“I’ve always said that I don’t have any issue with him. We might not be friends because we’ve never shared a dressing room together, but I always see him at award shows and there’s no problem. We actually spoke with each other for quite a long time at the most recent show.
“I don’t know if there will be a dinner because I don’t know if our paths will cross for obvious reasons, each one of us has our own life and our own commitments. But obviously I would accept the invitation.”
Five years have now passed on by and a story from a year before this famous clip between the iconic duo has resurfaced, where Evra discusses his meal time with the Champions League and Real Madrid icon.
The former Manchester United defender previously told an amusing story about his encounter with the Portuguese star at his home, where Ronaldo invited him over for a meal and a work-out. During the 2018 World Cup, which took place in Russia, Evra was part of a punditry team discussing the latest game results – and he revealed his private time with the now-39-year-old that heeded as a joking warning to Messi, or anyone looking to have lunch with Ronaldo.
Evra said: “I will give advice to anybody – when Cristiano invites you for lunch, just say no. Not because of the food, but it feels like a training session over there.”
The 43-year-old then delved into the story, sharing how he eat a bland lunch that included unseasoned chicken, salad and water, before heading into more gruelling training not long after eating. Evra continued: “He asked me to come after training, I was really tired, but at the table was just salad and plain white chicken, just water, no juice.
“We started eating and I thought some big meat was coming after that, but nothing. He just finishes and starts playing with the ball. I’ve just finished eating but we start playing two-touch, then he wants to go to the pool to swim, afterwards some jacuzzi, sauna.”
Evra did admit that this need to train comes from a deep discipline within the Portuguese star, and it is an admirable quality of such an elite athlete. He said: “Then I say why are we here? Do we have a game tomorrow? That is why I recommend to anybody, when Cristiano asks you for lunch to his house, just say no, don’t go.
“He is a machine, never wants to stop training. Being serious, he deserves everything he has as he has worked so hard.”
Evra added: “He was playing table-tennis with Rio Ferdinand and Rio beat him and we were all screaming. Ronaldo was so upset. So he sent his cousin to be a table tennis table and was training for two weeks at home, and he came back and beat Rio in front of everyone. That’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and that’s why I am not surprised that he wants to win another Ballon D’Or, win the World Cup. Because he is an angry man.”
