Messi reflects on ‘beautiful sporting rivalry’ with Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi has described his long-standing rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo as a “beautiful sporting rivalry”, while insisting there was never any personal animosity between the two football icons.
Messi and Ronaldo dominated world football for more than a decade, winning a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards and defining an era of unprecedented competition at the highest level.
Speaking to TV host Pollo Álvarez, the Inter Miami forward reflected on their intense battles during their time in Spain.
“What happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry,” the Argentine great said during the interview.
“It’s something natural in football. I was at Barcelona, and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people always compared us,” Messi said.
“But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely sporting. There was nothing personal.
“We didn’t meet often except at matches or award ceremonies, and we were always on good terms. Now we are at different stages in our lives, but what happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry.”
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