Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo said that his long-time rivalry with World Cup winner Lionel Messi is over.
The 37-year-old, who returned to the Portuguese national team, said himself and the Inter Miami star both changed the ‘history of the game, having been at the top of the game together for a very long time.
“I don’t see things like that, the rivalry is over, the Al Nassr forward said. “It was good a healthy rivalry that the spectators liked a lot.
“Whoever likes Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t have to hate Messi or vice-versa because they’re both very good, they changed the history of football, and they keep on doing it.”
Ronaldo further added that the two of them are respected all around the world and that there is no need for hatred among their fans.
“We are respected throughout the world, that’s the most important thing.”
“He makes his way, I make mine, even if we are playing outside Europe. He has done well, from what I’ve seen, and so have I.
“It’s about continuing, the legacy continues, the rivalry I don’t see things like that. I’ve already said, we’ve shared the stage for 15 years and we ended up being, I wouldn’t say friends because I never dined with him, but we are professional colleagues, and we respect each other,” he concluded.
Ronaldo and Messi are widely regarded as the two best players in the world, having spent over a decade at the summit of the sport, claiming almost all the awards in that timeframe.
The rivalry between the two superstars began in the 2007-08 season when they faced off in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League, which Ronaldo and United won. Messi and Barcelona, however, got Ronaldo and the Red Devils back a year later with a 2-0 win in the Champions League final.
The contest between the two forwards intensified when Ronaldo moved to Spain to play for Real Madrid. The Portuguese spent nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu and departed as the team’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in 438 matches, winning 16 titles, including four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles, and two Copa del Rey trophies, among others.
Messi, on the other hand, also holds the record for the most goals in Barcelona history with 674 goals in 781 appearances. The Argentine, who is the footballer with the most titles in the history of the sport, won 35 trophies with the Culers, including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, and seven Copa del Rey titles.
On the international stage, Messi and Ronaldo have also enjoyed success with their respective countries. Ronaldo won the UEFA European Championships in 2016 with Portugal and also the inaugural UEFA Nations League in 2019, while Messi led Argentina to triumph in the Copa America in 2021 and, most recently, a historic World Cup title in Qatar in 2022.
The two football stars have shared some of the biggest awards and stages together, with a combined 12 Ballon d’Or titles between them.
