In the heart of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, as Lionel Messi continues to shine for Inter Miami, the Argentine legend delivered a surprising and candid insight into his relationship with longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo—words that stirred nostalgia and curiosity among soccer fans worldwide.
For over 15 years, the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry has defined modern soccer. Their duels—particularly during their time in La Liga—have captivated audiences, split fanbases, and elevated standards on the pitch.
From 2009 to 2018, soccer’s most iconic individual contest played out in Spain’s top flight. Messi in Barcelona’s Blaugrana, Ronaldo in the white of Real Madrid. Their El Clasico encounters were not just club battles—they were global spectacles.
Between them, they’ve amassed 13 Ballon d’Or titles—Messi with eight, Ronaldo with five. They’ve broken records, claimed European and domestic glory, and fueled each other’s pursuit of greatness.
Yet despite their historic battle for dominance, the question has always lingered: What are they like off the field? Messi’s recent admission answers that question with rare clarity.
What did Messi say about Ronaldo?
Speaking to DSports following Inter Miami’s first win at the Club World Cup, Messi finally addressed the nature of his relationship with Ronaldo. “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he’s had and continues to have, because he’s still competing at the highest level,” Messi said, before making his headline-grabbing statement.
“The competition with him was on the pitch. 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.”
Those three words—“We’re not friends”—were said without malice, but with honesty. Messi’s comments suggest that, while their rivalry never extended beyond the field, they also never shared a personal bond.
In spite of this fiery rivalry, there were no public displays of animosity—only fierce competition. Their paths, however, rarely crossed off the pitch. That distance was only magnified after Ronaldo departed Madrid for Juventus, then Manchester United, and to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while Messi transitioned to PSG and now Inter Miami.
