Lionel Messi outbid Cristiano Ronaldo for extremely rare $36 million racing car

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly once faced off not on the football field but in an auction room for the rare Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti.

With only four units ever made, this car could be the greatest addition to anyone’s car collection.

The fierce bidding took place at the Retromobile auction in Paris in 2016.

In the end, Messi reportedly outbid Ronaldo by placing an incredible bid of $36 million on the iconic and rare racing car.

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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo auction rivalry for Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti

As Lionel Messi took the car to his garage after winning the auction war, he posted a photo on Instagram not long after.

In the photo, he held a toy Ferrari from the movie Cars and captioned it with, “My new car.”

It’s clear he took great pleasure in his new purchase.

While spending $36 million on a rare sports car might sound like reckless spending, it didn’t make a significant dent in his wealth.

Messi has been one of the highest-paid athletes for many years, with his wealth growing significantly.

So there’s no doubt he enjoys it and loves collecting rare cars like the Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti.

He is even known to have an elevator for supercars that goes straight up to his Miami penthouse.

More about the iconic supercar

The Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti was built between 1957 and 1958, boasting a powerful V12 engine.

With its 400 horsepower, the car had a top speed of 186 mph, making it way ahead of its time.

The car competed in some of the most prestigious races of its time, including the Mille Miglia and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and won many competitions.

Adding a car with such a rich history to his collection was surely a proud moment for the legendary footballer.