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Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo once claimed he has a 'great relationship' with archrival and Argentine maestro Lionel Messi. The ex-Real Madrid forward said that he has a lot of 'respect' for the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner.
The pair is considered to be among the best players in the history of football. They formed one of the greatest individual rivalries in the sport for over a decade, winning ten straight Ballon d'Or titles (five each) between 2008 and 2017.
In 1267 career appearances thus far, Ronaldo has racked up an eye-watering 926 goals and 257 assists. Messi isn't far behind either, with a staggering 852 goals and 381 assists in 1086 games.
Many fans have speculated that the pair's relationship would be frosty due to their on-field competitiveness. However, both have claimed to have great admiration for each other's game on multiple occasions.
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In one such interview of Ronaldo hosted by Piers Morgan in 2022, the Portuguese captain was asked what he thought of his rival. He replied (via TNT Sports):
"Amazing player is magic, top. As a person, we share the stage (for) 16 years... So, I have great relationship with him. I'm not (a) friend of him in terms of, what I mean friend is the guy who was with you in your house, speaking on the phone, no, but it's like a team-mate."
"He's a guy that I really respect, the way he always speak about me. Even his wife or my girlfriend, they always respect (him) and they're from Argentina... What I am going to say about Messi? A great guy who does great things for football," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner added.
Ronaldo currently plies his trade for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, while Messi plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS).
"Cristiano also brings many other things" - When Lionel Messi praised Cristiano Ronaldo's all-round game
Argentine icon Lionel Messi once praised legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo's all-round game. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner claimed that his Portuguese counterpart 'brings many other things' besides pure goalscoring ability.
In a 2020 interview with Mundo Deportivo, Messi said (via Hindustan Times):
"It's normal that he continues to score, he is a predatory striker, he loves to score, any day he plays he will score. He has many good attributes as a forward and at the minimum, he converts. If we played together I think I would pass the ball to him, yes."
"Real (Madrid) without Ronaldo has lost many goals, but it was obvious it would have happened. Not only goals, but Cristiano also brings many other things. If a team loses a player who scored 50 goals per season, it's noticeable. Real Madrid has great players, but Cristiano scores 50 goals per season," the Argentine forward added.
Up next, Messi could potentially be seen in action against Inter Miami's MLS clash against Charlotte FC on March 9. Meanwhile, Ronaldo will face off against Esteghlal FC in the second leg of Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League Round of 16 tie on March 10.
