When it comes to football discussions on greatness in the modern era, two names figure undisputedly at the top of the list - Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether it is the Argentine's wizardry or the Portuguese's enigmatic persona, people have had their opinions on who is the better of the two. Both legends have won silverware across the globe wherever they've gone, but Messi's World Cup glory in 2022 with Argentina has arguably put him ahead in the race.
The rivalry between the two hit its peak when Ronaldo signed up for Real Madrid in the 2010s, with Messi already having become a rage at the club's arch-rivals FC Barcelona. Over the years, the El Clasico battles between the two sides generated unprecedented buzz due to the presence of the two superstars and their battle for supremacy. Now in the fag end of their careers, both are no longer playing in any of the top leagues. While Ronaldo finds himself in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr, Messi has been plying his trade with the Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.
However, the competition between the two continues to intensify, at least if you consider the social media hype that the two fan groups still generate at high levels. We've often heard Ronaldo give his opinions on Messi and the respect that he has for his peer superstar. The latter, usually a soft-spoken person, has also echoed the same sentiments, following a match-winning free-kick goal for Inter Miami against FC Porto in the 2025 Club World Cup game on Thursday (June 19). Messi did talk about the equation he shares with Ronaldo.
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"I hold a deep respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and everything he has achieved in his career, and continues to achieve, as he's still performing at an elite level," Messi said while speaking to D Sports after the win against FC Porto.
"Our rivalry was purely on the pitch, driven by our desire to give everything for our respective teams. Off the field, we’re just ordinary people. While we’re not friends in the traditional sense, as we don’t socialize, there has always been mutual respect between us."
Messi has orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Inter Miami since his inclusion as the then-bottom-ranked side in MLS, which has gone on to register drastically improved performances. They also landed silverware last season in club competitions. The game against Porto was a recent example of how Messi has been monumental to the side's fortunes. Having gone a goal down in the eighth minute, courtesy of a penalty, the MLS side equalised in the 47th minute through Telasco Segavio before Messi netted a direct free kick goal seven minutes later to give Inter Miami a match-winning lead.
