Cristiano Ronaldo makes massive Lionel Messi admission, claims ‘On the contrary…’ | Football News

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated world football for more than a decade now. Both players are currently in the swansong phase of their respective careers. Ronaldo represents Al Nassr at the Saudi Pro League and Messi plies his trade at the MLS with Inter Miami.

Both were players at their prime during their La Liga days, when they played for Real Madrid and Barcelona, taking on each other every season. Even the individual awards were a competition solely between the pair, and now football has transitioned from Ronaldo, Messi to the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane.

According to multiple reports in the past, Ronaldo is known to have always had the urge to have a better season than Messi, and would get teased with the Argentine’s name by his Manchester United teammates. Their rivalry reached its climax when he moved to Real Madrid, and now the Portugal international has opened up on his relationship with Messi.

Cristiano Ronaldo on his relationship with Lionel Messi

Speaking to La Sexta, Ronaldo said, “I never had a bad relationship with Messi. On the contrary.”

Predicting if there would be another rivalry like his and Messi’s, Ronaldo said, “I hope so, it would be very good for football… but I think it’s unlikely.”

Ronaldo, Messi spent nine seasons in the prime of their careers facing off regularly for Real Madrid and Barcelona. They are two of the most decorated players in football history, having won 77 official titles in total (Messi 44, Ronaldo 33) so far, and have broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season many times. They are also the only two players to score over 800 goals each for both club and country. Ronaldo has the current record for most official career goals.

Such has been their rivalry that it has been compared to Alain Prost-Ayrton Senna in motorsports, Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal in tennis.