Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has now made his feelings on his famous rivalry with Lionel Messi known, saying "it was good".
The two stars have defined an era of football like no other duo has done, with the pair having won a combined 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them and scored more than 800 goals each.
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With their rivalry having piqued during their time in Spain from 2009 to 2018, both players have since left Europe, with the 38-year-old having joined Al Nassr in January and the Argentine signing for Inter Miami in July 2023.
Their last match against each other came in January 2023 when they met during a friendly between a Saudi Pro League All Stars team and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, with the possibility of the two of them meeting again on the pitch seemingly slim, Ronaldo now insists that the rivalry is "gone".
"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone," Ronaldo said, according to ESPN.
"It was good, spectators liked it.
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"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.
"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I.
"The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years.
"I'm not saying we're friends, I've never had dinner with him, but we're professional colleagues and we respect each other."
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