There’s a rivalry in football that continues to delight the world: Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi.
While the stars compete on the pitch, their off-field rivalry is heating up.
Both have made their riches via their passion for the game, and neither is reluctant to splurge on themselves.
While Ronaldo spends his money on fancy watches and private jets, Lionel Messi prefers to invest in real estate and grow his automobile collection.
In terms of the latter, the world’s second richest footballer possesses a fleet of premium vehicles.
His collection is remarkable, with everything from a Mercedes SUV to a Cadillac Escalade fit for a US president – but what takes pride of place in Messi’s garage?
Pagani
According to reports, the Argentine star has an ultra-rare Pagani Zonda Tricolore.
We say reportedly because there are no images of Lionel Messi flaunting his exotic car – but more on that later.
The Pagani Zonda Tricolore was designed as a one-of-a-kind tribute to Italy’s aerobatic squad, the Frecce Tricolori.
In the end, three were made, and Lionel Messi is said to own one of them.
Pagani
The renowned supercar costs $4 million, but it’s money well spent when you realise it has a 7.3-liter V12 engine that produces 670 horsepower.
That massive lump is capable of propelling the supercar from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 344 km/h (214 mph).
The reason Messi has never been seen in his Zonda Tricolore is that the exotic car is not road legal.
This begs the question of what he does with it while he is unable to drive on public roads.
Pagani
Pagani
The obvious response is that he must take it to the track – but is he even allowed to do so, given that he is probably one of the best footballers in the world?
Who knows, but even if it’s simply a spectacle, it’s unlikely to make much of a financial difference given that he’s supposedly worth $600 million.