"It was not on his priority" - When Barcelona legend claimed Lionel Messi never cared about his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo

Barcelona legend Gerard Pique believes Lionel Messi never really cared about his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Spain international spent time with both these players at club level.

With Messi, Pique shared the pitch 506 times across competitions for the Blaugrana, bagging 17 joint goal contributions in the process. However, he only featured on 15 occasions beside Ronaldo at Manchester United, with the pair failing to register a joint goal contribution.

Speaking about how Messi approached his rivalry with the Portuguese icon once he arrived at Real Madrid, Pique told talkSPORT last year (via Barca Universal):

"Did Messi care about Cristiano Ronaldo? No, he was not that type of guy. He was focused on the team. Even when he was on always on the front page radio, TV, he was only focused on winning trophies for the team."

“At the end of the day, because he was the best then, he was winning the Ballon d’Or. But it was not on his priority," he added.

Both players were brilliant for their respective Spanish sides, with Messi having represented Barcelona 778 times across competitions, bagging 672 goals and 303 assists. He won the LaLiga title on 10 occasions while lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy thrice, among other honors.

On the other hand, Ronaldo played 438 matches across competitions for Real Madrid, bagging 450 goals and 131 assists. He won four Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles, along with other trophies at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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When Cristiano Ronaldo made admission about mutual respect with Lionel Messi in 2023 interview

Lionel Messi (right) and Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo hinted at the mutual respect he has for arch-rival Lionel Messi in an interview in 2023. The Al-Nassr striker urged fans to show respect for the Argentine even if they were Ronaldo supporters.

He told La Sexta (via SPORTbible):

"If you like Cristiano, you don't have to hate Messi. The two changed the history of football and are respected."

Throughout their professional careers, Messi and Ronaldo have faced each other 36 times in international and club football. The Argentine has come off on the victorious side on 16 occasions, while Ronaldo emerged winners 11 times, playing out nine draws.

Both players are now representing clubs outside Europe, with Ronaldo currently playing at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. Meanwhile, Messi is with MLS side Inter Miami, a club that he joined from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.