Cristiano Ronaldo has shot down the hype that there is a personal animosity between him and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
In an exclusive interview with Coach Magazine, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo said that Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is one of the opposition players he admires the most. According to him, there are no hard feelings between the duo, and that they share a decent professional relationship.
“There is a big mutual respect between myself and Lionel Messi. The media like to make out like we have this big rivalry, but we don’t. It is not like we are good friends, but there is a mutual respect on both sides,” said the Portugal captain.
Ronaldo and Messi have been considered as world-beaters for the last decade and have won numerous individual and team awards during their illustrious playing careers. In fact, the La Liga duo have created a duopoly over the Ballon d’Or, as the coveted award has been shared between them since 2008.
The Real Madrid superstar began his playing career in his native Portugal with Sporting Lisbon where he began to make baby steps in the world of football. His stellar performances for Lisbon saw him make it into the national side, after which he was brought to Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson.
After moving to England, Ronaldo decided to make the Premier League his platform and the opposition defenders his puppets. He gave the fans an attacking phenomenon that they had never seen before.
Six seasons after moving to England, the Portugal international embarked on another journey in his career. He decided to complete his dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu and signed for Real Madrid for a then record fee.
Since his move to Spain, Ronaldo has reached new heights and is still going strong at 31. With 242 goals in 262 matches for Los Blancos, he couldn’t care less about the comparisons made between him and Lionel Messi. After guiding Real to two Champions League crowns in three seasons and and a La Liga title, he will be looking to add to his glorious trophy cabinet in the near future.
