Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he “enjoys” watching Lionel Messi play and, while the two aren’t friends, he has a lot of respect for the Barcelona forward.
Ronaldo and Messi both have claim to be considered the best player in the world with each achieving spectacular and unimaginable accomplishments throughout their respective careers.
Due to how the pair have both risen to this status at roughly the same time Messi and Ronaldo have often been played off against each other, as each looked to become the player that defined a generation of footballers.
But, despite their competition for the best player in the world, Ronaldo has insisted that he does not consider the Argentinian a “rival” and actually respects what Messi has achieved.
Ronaldo told Fox Sports Argentina: “I’m not Messi’s friend, but we’re fellow professionals. We’ve shared many moments at award ceremonies in the last 10 years, and I have a very good relationship with him.
“We don’t eat out together, but I respect him. He’s a fellow professional of mine, not a rival. It’s one more issue for the press, which want to sell papers and do their business.
“Watching Messi play? Of course I like it, I like to watch all the good players and he’s one of them, he’s a ‘crack’. I enjoy watching him play.
“How can I not like a person who hasn’t done anything wrong, on the contrary? When Messi is asked about Cristiano, he also speaks well of me. My relationship with him is cordial and we respect each other.”
Ronaldo managed 25 goals in La Liga this season compared to Messi’s 37 but the Portuguese star did win the league trophy with Madrid and will play in the Champions League final this weekend.
Messi and his teammates won the Copa del Rey trophy at the weekend.