Lionel Messi has provided a rare glimpse into his relationship with long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo by admitting the two footballing superstars are not friends.
The legendary pair formed a rivalry that defined a generation, becoming two of the most decorated players in history across their respective esteemed careers.
They have won a combined 13 Ballon d’Ors - Messi with eight, and closest foe Ronaldo with five - and scored almost 2,000 goals for club and country between them, on top of the plethora of team accolades collected.
But despite sharing the spotlight for the best part of the last 20 years, the lives of Messi and Ronaldo rarely intertwine off the pitch, something the Argentinian magician has lifted the lid on.
“The competition with him was on the pitch,” he told DSports. “Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Obviously, as always, everything stayed on the field.
“Off the pitch, we are two normal people. We're not friends obviously because we don't spend time together, but we've always treated each other with a lot of respect.”
Messi, 38, and Ronaldo, 40, are both in the twilight of their careers, playing their football out of Europe’s elite for Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively.
That said, Messi is still proving he can hang with the world’s best in the Club World Cup, with his stunning free-kick proving the difference against Porto in a 2-1 win on Thursday night.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is not competing at the inaugural rendition of the new-look competition in the United States, rejecting an approach from River Plate as he appears set to stay in Saudi Arabia.
Messi nevertheless faces a race against time to catch up to Ronaldo’s all-time goal tally of 938, with the former Barcelona sensation currently sitting on 866, albeit in 174 less appearances for club and country than his Portuguese rival.
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