Portuguese superstar and Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about his longtime on-field rivalry with Argentine icon and Inter Miami's Lionel Messi.

Both Ronaldo and Messi are almost unanimously regarded as the two best players of their generation, and they spent significant portions of their careers on the opposite sides of historical Spanish rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.

Speaking on Portugese outlet Record, the 38-year-old admitted that one of the greatest rivalries in sports history is over.

"The rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it. Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing," Real Madrid's all-time topscorer said in Portuguese.

Ronaldo added that while he is not really friends with Messi and they never had a single dinner together, he treats the Inter Miami player more like a professional colleague with vast respect for each other.

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Messi has settled the debate

For a number of years, Ronaldo and Messi were always neck-and-neck in the battle for the title of the best player in the world during the 2010s, which each of them taking turns on winning the Ballon d'Or, the sport's most prestigious individual trophy.

However, a significant amount of fans, critics, analysts and players think that Messi has won the GOAT debate after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup last December.

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