Lionel Messi Finally Says What He Thinks About Ronaldo Rivalry
- Lionel Messi has finally opened up about his iconic sporting rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, a battle that defined an era in world football
- The legendary duo dominated headlines for close to two decades, pushing each other to extraordinary heights
- With both superstars nearing the twilight of their careers, the 2026 World Cup is expected to serve as their final dance on the international stage
For the best part of the last two decades, football fans across the globe were split by one endless debate: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
The two superstars dominated world football for years, smashing records, collecting trophies and turning every season into a battle for supremacy.
Source: Getty Images
From Ballon d’Or races to unforgettable El Clasico clashes, their rivalry became the defining story of a generation.
Now, Messi has finally opened up on how he truly viewed the competition with Ronaldo, and his comments paint the picture of a rivalry built on respect rather than resentment.
Watch a compilation of Messi and Ronaldo, as shared on YouTube:
Messi breaks silence on Ronaldo rivalry
Speaking to Pollo Alvarez on his YouTube show Lo del Pollo, Messi explained that the comparisons between himself and Ronaldo happened naturally because both players were competing at the highest level at the same time.
“What happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry,” Lionel Messi said when asked about his long-running competition with Ronaldo.
The Argentine icon noted that the rivalry became even bigger because of the fierce competition between Barcelona and Real Madrid during their peak years in Spain, as cited by MARCA.
“It’s something natural in the world of football. I was at Barcelona, and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always comparing us,” Messi said.
Although fans often portrayed the battle as personal, Messi insisted there was never any bad blood between the pair.
“But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely athletic. There was nothing personal,” he added.
Source: Getty Images
How Messi and Ronaldo redefined football
Messi and Ronaldo pushed each other to extraordinary levels throughout the late 2000s and 2010s.
While Messi dazzled supporters at Barcelona, Ronaldo, who 'ate' grass during his days at Juventus, became the face of Real Madrid.
Their performances turned Spanish football into the centre of the sporting world.
Every major honour seemed to come down to the two legends. Whether it was the Champions League, league titles or the Ballon d’Or, both players consistently found ways to outshine the rest.
Messi, who is eyeing a historic MLS record with Inter Miami, admitted the rivalry helped both men maintain elite standards for such a long period.
Instead of bitterness, he now looks back on that era as something special for football.
Together, the two icons rewrote the history books. Between them, they collected multiple Champions League titles, league crowns and Ballon d’Or awards while producing numbers many believe may never be repeated, according to beIN Sports.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup expected to be the final international tournament for both players, football fans are slowly preparing to say goodbye to one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen, per Vavel.
Why Messi, Ronaldo lost followers on Instagram
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi reportedly lost millions of followers after Instagram carried out a massive bot purge on the platform.
Ronaldo was said to have lost around 18 million followers, while Messi and Dwayne Johnson reportedly saw their follower counts drop by about five million each.
Source: YEN.com.gh
