Cristiano Ronaldo makes feelings clear when asked if football will witness another rivalry like him vs Lionel Messi 

Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo believes it is highly unlikely that football will witness another rivalry like his and Lionel Messi's. The two superstars have dominated the game for over the past decade, creating one of football's fiercest rivalries.

Ronaldo and Messi have been going head to head since 2008 when the Portuguese won his first Ballon d'Or award and the Argentine came in the second position. Since then the two superstars have battled for virtually all deliverables in football, from goals scored, assists provided, collective, and individual honors as well as records.

The peak of their rivalry was between 2009 and 2018 when Ronaldo played for Real Madrid, and Messi was on the books of Barcelona. For nine consecutive seasons, they clashed in the LaLiga and the domestic cup competitions.

Both players are now in the twilight of their respective careers but the rivalry for the greatest player of all time between them lingers on, dividing fans and pundits alike. Despite the intense rivalry, Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he never had a bad relationship with Lionel Messi.

Speaking in a recent interview with La Sexta, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said about the Argentine (via Hindustan Times):

“I never had a bad relationship with Messi. On the contrary.”

When asked if football will witness another rivalry like his and Messi's, the Al-Nassr star replied:

"I hope so, it would be very good for football… but I think it’s unlikely."

The Messi vs Ronaldo rivalry would go down as one of football's greatest-ever rivalries. The pair are the only two players to have scored over 800 career goals. The Al-Nassr forward has scored 921 official career goals, while the Inter Miami ace has 850 career goals under his belt.

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When Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he was better than Lionel Messi

In 2015, Cristiano Ronaldo made a huge claim about his rivalry with Lionel Messi. The former Real Madrid, Juventus, and Manchester United star claimed he was the best player in the world and doesn't care what others think.

Speaking to the BBC, Ronaldo said (via ESPN):

"In my mind, I'm always the best. I don't care what people think, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I'm always the best."

"It's opinions, I respect the opinions. Maybe in your opinion Messi is better than me, but in my mind I am better than him. So it's simple," he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have won more Ballon d'Or awards than any other footballer. The Portuguese has won the coveted individual honor five times, while the Argentine is the record winner with eight wins.