Cristiano Ronaldo admits “it hurts to see Lionel Messi in tears” as the Real Madrid star put his rivalry with the Barcelona forward to one side.
Ronaldo and Messi have long been engaged in arguably the most competitive rivalry ever between two sportspeople, yet the Portuguese used his Press conference prior to Wednesday’s Euro 2016 semi-final against Wales to back the No 10 in the wake of his decision to stop representing Argentina.
“[Messi] has made a tough decision [to retire from international football] and people should understand it,” he said.
“He isn’t accustomed to defeats and disappointments, not even finishing second. Missing a penalty doesn’t make you a bad player.
“It hurts to see Messi in tears and I hope he returns to his country one day because they need him.”
