Cristiano Ronaldo Calls Arch-Rival Lionel Messi 'Great Guy Who Does Great Things For Football'

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are fan favorites, still a force to reckon with on the playfield even when they are on the verge of ending their respective football careers.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about his long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi. ( Image Source :AFP )

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest football players of all time, is in the news ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In a recent explosive 90-minute TV interview with Piers Morgan, the footballing superstar accused Manchester United and boss Erik ten Haig of "betraying" him. 37-year-old Ronaldo, highest goal scorer in the history of sport, accused Manchester United of not giving him the respect he deserves, adding that he was made the “black sheep” who was getting accused for everything that had gone wrong at the club.

In the very same interview, Ronaldo opened up about his long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi. Both Messi and Ronaldo are fan favorites, still a force to reckon with on the playfield even at a time when they are on the verge of ending their respective careers. Ever since the duo rose to fame, fans have been debating over why their favorite is superior to the other. During his interview with Morgan, Ronaldo called Messi 'a great guy who does great things for football'. 

"Amazing player, he is magic, top,' Ronaldo said. "As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years we share. So, I have great relationship with him. I'm not a friend of him in terms of, what I mean friend is the guy who was 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 and 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 great guy who does great things for football."

When asked if Lionel Messi is the best player he has ever seen during his career, Ronaldo replied, "Probably the best player I've ever seen (excluding myself). Maybe Zidane. That I play and fight with, yes."

Ronaldo and Messi will next be seen in action while playing for their respective teams during FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, starting from November 20.