"I always like to play with the best" - When Lionel Messi responded when asked if he'd like to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo
The rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has been widely considered one of the most storied in the history of football. The two icons have faced each other multiple times on the pitch but football fans have never had the privilege of seeing them play together for the same side.
Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry was at its peak between 2009 and 2018 when Ronaldo was at Real Madrid and Messi was at Barcelona. The two legends faced each other 36 times (excluding friendlies), with the Argentine scoring 22 times against Ronaldo's sides. Meanwhile, the Portuguese talisman scored 21 goals against Messi's teams.
In a 2015 interview, Lionel Messi was asked if he would ever want to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The Argentine legend was keen on the prospect, and said (via SPORTBible):
"Yes, of course. I always like to play with the best, and he is one of them. I think it will be difficult for us to play in the same team, but obviously I would like to. I was lucky enough to play and participate with many very good players and, obviously, I would also like to do it with him."
At the age of 39 and 37, respectively both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are at the twilight of their respective careers. The Portuguese talisman, however, is continuing to reach new milestones as he recently crossed the mark of 900 career goals.
Meanwhile, Leo Messi picked up his second consecutive Copa America title with Argentina in July 2024. However, La Pulga has been out of the pitch since the Copa final after injuring his ankle.
"He is magic, top" - When Cristiano Ronaldo shared his opinion on Lionel Messi
In his 2022 interview with Piers Morgan on his show, the British journalist asked Cristiano Ronaldo to share his opinion on Lionel Messi. The Portuguese icon considered him a top player, and said:
“Amazing player, he is magic, top. As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years, we share. So, I have great relationship with him."
Ronaldo added that he admires Lionel Messi for the respect he shares for him and his family, but clarified they are not friends off the pitch. He continued:
"I'm not friend of him in terms of, what I mean is a friend is the guy who is with you in your house, speaking on the phone, no, but it's like a team-mate. He’s a guy that I really respect the way he always speaks about me."
"Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect and they're from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. So good. What I am going to say about Messi? A good guy who does everything for football."
Despite being archrivals, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy remains unparalleled in football. The two icons have dominated football almost two decades, winning a total of 13 Ballon d'Or awards together, alongside multiple personal accolades and trophies for their respective sides.