At 40 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo remains as active as ever, continuing to shine in the Saudi Pro League, where he currently leads the scoring charts with 15 goals. In a recent interview, the Portuguese star shared surprising insights about his long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi, leaving many fans intrigued.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave an insightful interview to his journalist friend Edu Aguirre, where he firmly stated that he never had a bad relationship with Lionel Messi: “I have never had a bad relationship with Messi. On the contrary, We shared the awards stage for 15 years and we always got along very well, you know? And I even remember sometimes I used to translate for him (Messi) what they said in English… He treated me well. Obviously he defended his club and I defended mine, he defended his national team and I defended mine“.
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has long been clouded by speculation and false narratives suggesting a strained relationship between the two superstars. However, Cristiano has dismissed any notion of bad blood, even revealing that he helped Messi with translations during the many award ceremonies they attended together.
The truth is that while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi never had a bad relationship, they always remained loyal to their respective clubs and national teams. This was evident on multiple occasions, including their Ballon d’Or votes, where they often chose not to support each other.
However, in 2019, during a UEFA Champions League gala, Ronaldo made a surprising remark, expressing his willingness to share a meal with Messi: “I hope we’ll get together for dinner.“ Lionel Messi stated the following about the possibility of having dinner together: “I don’t know if there will be dinner because I don’t know if we will cross paths because each of us lives somewhere and has our own commitments. But if it has to happen, no problem.”
While Lionel Messi has not ruled out the possibility, no date or meeting between the two soccer legends has been confirmed, especially as they now live in different parts of the world.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s rivalry was mutually beneficial
In his most recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo was asked whether his rivalry with Lionel Messi pushed him to reach his best level. He responded: “I think so. Mutually. I think there were years when he wanted to play all the time and score and so did I. That healthy fight like Ayrton Senna and Prost who motivated each other. I think so.”
Throughout their legendary rivalry, Ronaldo faced Messi in 36 matches, winning 11, drawing 9, and losing 16. Against FC Barcelona, the Portuguese star netted 20 goals and provided 3 assists, making them the fourth team he scored against the most.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also asked whether soccer would ever see similar numbers from two players again. He responded: “I hope so. It would be very good for soccer. But honestly I see it difficult but it is possible. You never know.”