Messi on Ronaldo rivalry: “It was a beautiful sporting rivalry”

Lionel Messi has once again opened up about his iconic rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting there was never any personal animosity between the two despite years of comparisons during their Barcelona and Real Madrid days.

Speaking to Pollo Alvarez, Messi described the rivalry as something “natural” in football, especially with both players competing for every major trophy and individual honour during their peak years in Spain.

“It’s something natural in the world of football. I was at Barcelona and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always comparing us,” Messi said.

“But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely athletic. There was nothing personal.”

For over a decade, Messi and Ronaldo dominated world football, winning Ballon d'Or titles, Champions Leagues and breaking countless records while fans endlessly debated who was better. Their rivalry became one of the defining stories of modern sport.

Messi, however, clarified that the tension surrounding them was largely created by the competitive environment rather than any real life feud.

• "Was the rivalry between you and Cristiano real or just media hype?"

Leo Messi: "It's something natural in the world of football. I was at Barcelona and he was at Real Madrid, and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always… pic.twitter.com/bkdKKiYb4z

— All About Argentina (@AlbicelesteTalk) May 8, 2026

“We didn’t meet often except at matches or award ceremonies, and we were always on good terms,” he added.

“Now we’re at different stages in our lives, but what happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry.”

The Argentine also reflected on the greatest moment of his own career and unsurprisingly pointed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar.

“The best version of my career? I don’t know if that was my prime or not, but when I think about the best moment of my career, my mind always goes to the World Cup in Qatar,” Messi said.

“Winning the World Cup was the greatest thing for me.”

Messi finally lifted football’s biggest prize in Qatar after Argentina defeated France in one of the most dramatic World Cup finals ever played. The triumph completed his trophy collection and for many fans settled the debate about his legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time. Can Ronaldo do the same in 2026? We have to wait and see.