Cristiano Ronaldo insists that there has never been a problem between himself and Lionel Messi, stating that he never saw the Argentine as a rival.
The pair have been at the centre of a debate of the last decade on which holds the title of the best player in the world, with the pair lifting the Ballon D’Or trophy 11 times between them.
The fact that each played on either side of the fierce Spanish rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona only served to add fuel to the fire as they went toe-to-toe for every major domestic and European honour season after season.
The pair met on the field for the first time since 2018 on Tuesday night, when Juventus came away from the Nou Camp with a 3-0 victory – two of their goals coming courtesy of their No 7 from the penalty spot.
Both appeared to smile as they greeted each other on the pitch, and Ronaldo stated that any relationship between the pair has always been cordial.
‘We’ve been in the awards ceremonies for 12-13 years now and I never saw him as a rival, that’s all stirred up in the media,’ Ronaldo said – as per Football Espana.
‘We always got along perfectly well and if you ask Leo, he’ll tell you the same thing.’
The 3-0 victory meant the Serie A side pipped Messi’s side to top spot in Champions League Group G.
