Cristiano Ronaldo says the rivalry with Lionel Messi is over

One of the greatest battles in history is finally over

Both players have been the shining lights in football over the past 20 years however with both reaching the latter days of their career, the time for going head to head is no more.

Between the two of them, Ronaldo and Messi have won 79 trophies and are the only two players to have scored over 800 goals each.

With Messi at Inter Miami and Ronaldo playing in Saudi Arabia, it's unlikely that the two will ever meet on the pitch again and Ronaldo believes the rivalry is "gone".

|Rivalry? I don't see those things like that, we shared the stage for 15 years. I'm not saying we are friends but we respect each other," said the 38-year-old.

"It was good, the spectators liked it.

"Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don’t have to hate Messi and vice versa. We’ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that’s the most important thing."

The two are now gearing up to lead their nations in the latest international break with Ronaldo expected to line up for Portugal against Slovakia in their Euro 2024 qualifier on Friday while Messi and Argentina will face Ecuador in a 2026 World Cup qualifier tonight (Thursday September 7).

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