Lionel Messi says he had 'beautiful sporting rivalry' with fellow great Cristiano Ronaldo

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Messi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ronaldo-cristiano/WGOY4FSt/"]Ronaldo[/a] won a combined 13 Ballon d’Or titles, defining an era in world football.[/p][p]Speaking to TV host Pollo Alvarez, the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Inter Miami[/a] star opened up on their fierce battles during their time in Spain.[/p][p]“[b]What happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry[/b],” the Argentine great told TV show host Pollo Alvarez.[/p][image alt="Messi stats in the MLS this season" id="5014e8df-a61d-4d51-a796-0dc2916d092e" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="971b3adc-4bd2-4c10-bdb8-8b811179ecc7" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]“It's something natural in the world of football. I was at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barcelona/SKbpVP5K/"]Barcelona[/a], and he was at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a], and we were competing for everything both collectively and individually, so people were always comparing us. [/p][p]"[b]But our relationship was always good and respectful, and everything that happened was purely athletic. There was nothing personal[/b].[/p][p] "[b]We didn't meet often except at matches or award ceremonies, and we were always on good terms. Now we're at different stages in our lives, but what happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry[/b].”[/p]