There’s little doubt that the rivalry that brewed between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for many years was an absolute joy to behold. Playing on opposite sides of the El Clasico divide (Messi at Barcelona, Ronaldo at Real Madrid), the pair regularly produced incredible performances.
When Messi and Ronaldo both retire, they will each go down in the collection of the greatest players of all time, and rightfully so. They dominated for many years, with each picking up multiple Ballon d’Or awards in the process.
As with any typically rivalry, there is talk with Messi and Ronaldo do not get on. However, there is undeniable respect between the pair, which the Portuguese demonstrated during a recent interview (via Sport).
“If you love Cristiano Ronaldo, you don’t have to hate (Lionel) Messi. We have both changed the history of world football.
“We shared the stage for 15 years so the respect is there. I’m not saying that we are friends, I never chatted with him, but do I respect him.”
Ronaldo is spot on. There has been so much made of the rivalry between the two, but it mostly stems from their supporters, especially those fans of Barcelona and Real Madrid. The pair should be celebrated and enjoyed, especially with their respective careers expected to come to an end in the next few years.
