The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is a topic that always comes up when football fans think about these two legends. But what do they really think of each other? Is their relationship as hostile as it’s often portrayed? Ronaldo opened up about it in an interview with Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre.
A brief clip of the interview was shared on Spain’s ‘El Chiringuito TV’ and will be aired in full on Monday on Spain’s free-to-air TV channel ‘La Sexta’. In the short clip, Ronaldo talks about his relationship with Messi.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo has added a unique dimension to football history, especially when Ronaldo was at Real Madrid and Messi was at Barcelona. This division also extended to the football world. Now, they play for different clubs—Ronaldo at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, and Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS. While Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, Ronaldo has claimed it five times. Their El Clásico battles in Spanish football remain iconic and continue to captivate fans.
But the question remains: is this legendary rivalry truly built on animosity, or is it just a footballing competition? The common rumor is that their relationship isn’t very warm and that there’s some tension between them. Ronaldo, however, says otherwise: “I’ve never had a bad relationship with Messi. What people think is actually the opposite.”
Both Messi and Ronaldo have had remarkable careers, winning major international titles—Messi with the World Cup and Copa América, while Ronaldo has won the Euro with Portugal. In club football, both have won nearly every title possible. Ronaldo’s goal tally stands at 921 across both club and international competitions.
When asked whether Messi, 37, and Ronaldo, 39, would be surpassed by the next generation, Ronaldo replied, “I hope so. That would be great for football, but it will be tough.”
In a previous interview in 2023, Ronaldo was asked if there was any “hatred” between him and Messi. He replied, “I don’t see it that way. The rivalry is over. It was great, and the fans loved it. Those who love Cristiano Ronaldo don’t need to hate Messi. We’re both great; we’ve changed the history of football.”
After winning his eighth Ballon d’Or, Messi also spoke about his rivalry with Ronaldo in an interview with ‘France Football’: “It was always a battle. On the field, we pushed each other to do better because we’re both very competitive. He wanted to win everything, and so did I. It was a great time for football fans, and what we did is deserving of praise. Getting to the top is easy, but staying there is hard. We were at the top for 10-15 years. It was an incredible time for all football lovers.”
Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 to join Juventus, then returned to Manchester United before moving to Al Nassr in 2023. Messi, on the other hand, left Barcelona in 2021 to join PSG, and after two years, moved to Miami in 2023.
