Messi plays Chess game with Ronaldo
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has opened up about his legendary rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, revealing that while they’re not close friends, they share a deep respect and admiration for each other’s careers.
In a recent interview, Messi praised Ronaldo’s enduring excellence, saying, “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, and for the career he’s had and continues to have. He is still competing at the highest level.”
Messi clarified that their rivalry was confined to the pitch, where each player pushed the other to perform their best. “The competition with him was on the pitch… Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Everything stayed on the pitch,” he said.
Off the pitch, Messi described their relationship as cordial, with mutual respect. “We’re not friends because we don’t spend time together, but we’ve always treated each other with a lot of respect,” he added [1].
