Inter Miami star and Argentina captain, Lionel Messi has shed light on his dynamic with longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, clarifying that although they’re not close friends, they share a deep respect for each other.
🚨 Leo Messi: “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, and for the career he’s had and continues to have. He is still competing at the highest level”.
“The competition with him was on the pitch… Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Everything… pic.twitter.com/YedPMhWqlB
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 20, 2025
The legendary footballers have been embroiled in one of the sport’s most iconic and debated rivalries, consistently pushing each other to new heights during their illustrious careers.
The Argentine captain and Portuguese skipper have been competing neck and neck for the last 15 with their rivalry at it peak in their nine seasons together in the Spanish topflight.
The duo graced the footballing stage while being at the top and pushing each other continuously over the years to set the new heights of brilliance when it comes to on-field performances, smashing records and winning trophies.
However, there have always been talks regarding their relationship with each other.
Speaking in an interview with DSsports, Messi stated that their rivalry existed solely on the pitch, particularly during their time facing off in Spain’s El Clasico, with Messi at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he’s had and continues to have, because he’s still competing at the highest level.
The former Barcelona forward stated that their rivalry existed solely on the pitch, particularly during their time facing off in Spain’s El Clasico.
“The competition with him was on the pitch. Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Obviously, as always, everything stayed on the field.
“Off the pitch, we are two normal people. We’re not friends obviously because we don’t spend time together, but we’ve always treated each other with a lot of respect.”
Now playing in different corners of the world, with Messi in Major League Soccer (MLS) and Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr, their careers continue to be compared, fueling debates among fans and pundits over who is the greatest of their generation ¹
