Lionel Messi fondly remembers his nemesis: "The rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo was very nice"

The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo marked the history of world soccer for more than a decade, when Leo emerged with Barcelona and the Portuguese star arrived at Real Madrid as a luxury reinforcement. Both not only dominated LaLiga, but their rivalry extended to world soccer

Several years later, with the rivalry over after each took their own path to the final stretch of their respective careers, Messi fondly recalled what those years were like under the world spotlight and said it was an unforgettable time for both idols and their fans and that it ultimately marked them to win absolutely everything when competing

It was a very nice stage for everyone. For the people and for us. We fed off each other because we are both very competitive. He wanted to win everythingLionel Messi talks about Cristiano Ronaldo

In an interview in Miami prior to his team's match against Orlando City on Sunday in the Florida Derby, Messi said that during that time both players were in excellent shape and that it was not easy to do so, given the length of time they were competing at the highest level

It's very impressive what we did for so long. As they say, it's easy to get there but difficult to stay there. We stayed at the top for 10 or 15 years. It's a nice memory for everyoneLionel Messi

Messi and Cristiano's present

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently fighting for a title in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr. He is a key player in his team, even though he is already 40 years old and it is not known if he will remain active, as his contract ends this year

In the case of Lionel Messi, he left Europe to play in MLS with Inter Miami, where he is also the star of his club. He is now more prone to injuries but still retains his great technical quality and, like Cristiano, hopes to win a league title, as he has only won the 2024 Leagues Cup.