“You laughed my ass off and turned him on.”

Roma striker Paulo Dybala has spoken about Cristiano Ronaldo’s habit of drinking yerba mate, an Argentine herbal drink, just like Lionel Messi, during his time with the Portugal icon at Juventus.

Dybala and Ronaldo played together with the Bianconeri for three seasons – between 2018 and 2021 – before the latter moved to Manchester United and then to Al-Nasr, where he is currently located.

Dybala, 32, is one of the few players who played in the same team with Ronaldo and Messi, as he played with the latter for the Argentina national team. Having observed both legends from both sides, Dybala mentioned Ronaldo’s funny habit of drinking yerba mate when attending team meetings in Turin.

“He (Ronaldo) spent with us,” Dybala said to former Argentine rugby player Agustín Creevy on YouTube (via Marca).

“If there was a team meeting, he would come, laughing so hard. Outside, you could talk about anything. He would drink yerba mate. It was funny because he had a Peruvian lupine, and he was a bigger companion. I laughed so hard and I teased him.”

It is worth noting that Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodriguez, is Argentine, as it is said that the duo met for the first time during Ronaldo’s time with Real Madrid.

How did Cristiano Ronaldo fare against Lionel Messi in club football?

Cristiano Ronaldo has a good record against Lionel Messi in club football, all while the Argentine was at Barcelona between 2004 and 2021. Messi is currently with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

In 34 matches across competitions against the Blaugrana, Ronaldo has scored 20 goals and provided three assists. Most of these goals (18) came during his time with Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018. Two of his 20 Champions League goals came after his move to Juventus, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the same match.

Ronaldo did not score against Messi’s Barcelona in three Champions League matches – including the 2009 final – while in his first spell with Manchester United (between 2003 and 2009).