In his most publicised interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his true feelings towards arch-rival Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo and Messi's era-defining rivals appears to be approaching a gradual end as both stars are now in the twilight of their glittering careers. In the period between 2008 and 2021, the two have shared 12 Ballon d'Or, with five going to the Portugal international, while a record seven Golden Balls were awarded to the Argentine.
According to Goal, the pair have each won 30 or more major titles in their career, including a combined nine UEFA Champions Leagues. The dominances in the late 2000s and 2010s has sparked a never-ending debate over who is the greatest between the two, albeit they are widely regarded as two of the best to ever play the sport.
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Messi has confirmed that the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be his last, while Ronald, also is also expected to have retired from the national team by the time the 2026 edition gets underway.
Now, the 37-year Manchester United star having been embroiled in controversial for his interview, where he takes aim at his club, manager Erik ten Hag, and former Red Devils teammate Wayne Rooney, among others.
During the explosive discussion with Morgan, he was asked about the Paris Saint-Germain forward, and he replied: "Amazing player is magic, top… As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years. We share.
"So, I have great relationship with him. I'm not 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 teammate.
"He's a guy that I really respect the way he always speak 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 great guy who does great things for football."
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