Cristiano Ronaldo Says His Rivalry With Lionel Messi Is Over: "It Was Good, The Spectators Liked It"

Cristiano Ronaldo says that he and Lionel Messi "changed the history of football" but that their rivalry is now over. "It was good, the spectators liked it."

Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that he and Lionel Messi "changed the history of football" but that their rivalry is now over.

Ronaldo and Messi are both global icons of the sport and widely considered as the two best players of their generation, if not of all time.

Their rivalry was at its most intense during Ronaldo's nine seasons at Real Madrid, between 2009 and 2018, when Messi was playing for Spanish rivals Barcelona.

But Ronaldo, 38, now plays his club football in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, while Messi, 36, is based in the USA with Inter Miami.

"We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing," Ronaldo said at a press conference on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo pictured speaking to the media in Portugal this week :: Twitter/@footballdaily

The Portugal captain was speaking to the media less than 24 hours after a 30-man shortlist for the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or award was revealed.

Ronaldo - a five-time winner of the award - was not nominated for the first time since 2003, while Messi is seen as the favorite to win it for a record-extending eighth time after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in December.

Messi has also made a spectacular start to life in the States, providing 11 goals and eight assists in his first 11 games for Miami.

"He makes his way, I make mine, even if we are playing outside of Europe," Ronaldo continued. "He's done well, from what I've seen. It's about continuing, the legacy continues."

Asked if hatred was a part of their rivalry, he said: "Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi. I don't see the rivalry like that.

"The rivalry is gone. It was good, the spectators liked it. We shared the stage for 15 years and ended up being, I'm not saying friends, but we are professional colleagues and we respect each other."

🗣️ "Whoever likes Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't have to hate Messi or vice-versa because they're both very good." 🔝

Cristiano Ronaldo says he doesn't see any rivalry between himself and Lionel Messi pic.twitter.com/WbHsIGwbNn

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 7, 2023

Ronaldo and Messi have faced off 36 times on the pitch.

Their last meeting came in an exhibition game in January when Messi was part of a Paris Saint-Germain team that beat a Riyadh All-Star XI 5-4.

Ronaldo recently scored his 850th career goal as Al Nassr won 5-1 away at Al-Hazm in their final game before the international break.

Portugal will play Slovakia and Luxembourg in two Euro 2024 qualifiers over the coming days.

Meanwhile, Messi and Argentina have two World Cup qualifiers to play this month - against Ecuador and Bolivia.

Lionel Messi (left) and Ronaldo pictured embracing during a friendly game between PSG and a Riyadh All-Star XI in January :: IMAGO/Power Sport Images/Stringer