Former Real Madrid star Marcelo has finally admitted what Barcelona fans have always known—Lionel Messi regularly embarrassed him in their heated El Clasico encounters. The Brazilian left-back, who battled Messi for over a decade in Spanish football, jokingly confessed that he wanted to hit the Argentine but could never get close enough to do so.

Marcelo, who retired in early February after a glittering 15-year career at the Santiago Bernabéu, opened up about his struggles against Messi on the Spanish TV program La Revuelta earlier this week.

“The problem [with Messi] is that I wanted to hit him, but I couldn’t get him,” Marcelo said with a laugh.

Marcelo’s Respect for Messi

Despite their fierce rivalry, Marcelo was full of admiration for Messi and acknowledged the Argentine’s brilliance.

“I appreciate him [Messi] a lot. He’s a crack, he’s incredible.”

During the interview, Marcelo humorously anticipated that the hosts would show clips of Messi outplaying him.

“I thought you were going to show me the videos in which he made a fool of me,” he laughed.

Reflecting on Messi’s speed and dribbling ability, Marcelo admitted he often found himself helpless against Barcelona’s legendary No.10.

“I didn’t even see him pass me. He was very fast. But no problem, I was born in a place where dribbling is the best, not being dribbled.”

The Messi vs. Ronaldo Rivalry

Marcelo also discussed the iconic battle between Messi and his former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, a rivalry that defined world football throughout the 2010s. He revealed how both players constantly pushed each other to new heights.

“Cristiano thinks he’s better. There was a time when it was messed up because one scored two, so the other had to score three… We saw this live, and we enjoyed it very much. Many people want to compare but forget to enjoy this.”

The Brazilian expressed gratitude for witnessing the two all-time greats firsthand.

“I was lucky to play in this time.”

Messi and Ronaldo Still Going Strong

While Marcelo has stepped away from football, Messi and Ronaldo continue to shine on different continents. The Argentine maestro remains dominant in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, helping the club set a points record last season and securing qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, now 40, is still delivering top performances in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr.

Marcelo’s illustrious career saw him win six La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies, amassing a total of 25 trophies with Real Madrid. However, as he admitted, his silverware collection might have been even bigger if not for Messi’s Barcelona, which regularly stood in the way of Los Blancos’ success.

His comments serve as yet another reminder of Messi’s legendary status and how even the best defenders of his generation struggled to contain him.