Lionel Messi grabbed headlines again after his standout performance with Inter Miami in their recent win over Porto at the Club World Cup. Speaking to DSports, the Argentine star opened up about his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, making it clear that while they’re not friends, there’s a lot of respect between them. “We’re not friends because we’ve never really spent time together, but yeah, there’s great respect between us. I admire him a lot and everything he’s done in his career, and how he’s still competing at the highest level,” he said.

The Argentine striker also reflected on the long-standing rivalry between them. “It was normal, really. The competition was on the pitch — we both just wanted to do our best for our teams. But everything stayed on the field. Off it, we’re just two regular guys,” Messi added after the match, playing down what’s often called the greatest rivalry in modern sports.

A rivalry that defined an era

For over 15 years, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ruled world football, especially during their time in LaLiga, with the Argentine leading FC Barcelona and the Portuguese icon starring for Real Madrid. Their head-to-head battle for trophies, awards, and records created one of the most intense — yet respectful — rivalries in sports history, without ever crossing the line off the field.

Today, their careers have taken different paths. Messi is now playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, while Cristiano Ronaldo is still shining in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr. Fans continue to dream about them playing together one day, but so far, no real opportunity has come up for them to share the same locker room.

Messi was honest in saying that the lack of shared time made a real friendship impossible, though the mutual respect was always there. What connected them wasn’t a personal bond, but a professional one built on admiration and top-tier competition.

With 13 Ballon d’Or wins between them and a legacy that’s nearly untouchable, Messi and Ronaldo will always be icons of global football. And if this interview made anything clear, it’s that their story is one of greatness and respect — not friendship.