FOOTBALL
Sneijder: "I could have been up there with Messi and Ronaldo, but I couldn't be bothered"
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are generally regarded as the two greatest players on the planet, Wesley Sneijder could be up there too had he tried harder, he says.
Wesley Sneijder claims he could have been held in the same high esteem as football giants Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but maybe a lack of self-discipline and a penchant for the odd glass of wine held him back.
Sneijder reflects on his vintage years
The former Netherlands midfielder enjoyed a stellar career at Ajax, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. However, he comes nowhere near Messi or Ronaldo, who share 11 Ballon d'Or wins between them, but Sneijder insists that maybe, if things had been different he could have been up there with the best.
"I could have become like Messi or Ronaldo. I simply didn't feel like it," the 35-year-old told Gianluca DiMarzio. "I enjoyed my life, maybe I had a glass [of wine] at dinner. Leo and Cristiano are different, they have made many sacrifices, and that's fine with me. My career, however, was still amazing."