Cristiano Ronaldo praised Lionel Messi: “He’s the best footballer I’ve ever played against”

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have had a very marked rivalry for many years. The competition increased when the Portuguese striker signed for Real Madrid in mid-2009 and starred in vibrant matches against the Argentinian midfielder who defended the Barcelona shirt.

In 2018, the ‘Commander’ left the white box and the confrontations with the ‘Flea’, who would later leave the Barça club in 2021, were not recurring. Despite the fact that they play in different leagues and the contest between the two no longer has so much echo, the Portuguese footballer went out of his way to praise the ’10’ from the ‘Albiceleste’

“He is an incredible player. He is magical. ‘Top’. We have been sharing the stage for 16 years. I have a great relationship with him. he’s like he’s a partner. He’s a guy that I really respect for how he always talks about me. Even his wife or my girlfriend”he declared during the second part of the interview with Piers Morgan.

In the same way, Ronaldo considers that the ‘Flea’ “has done good things for football”. “For me Messi and Zidane are the two best footballers I’ve ever seen play and Leo is the best I’ve ever played against”he pointed.

“I am not a friend of Messi in terms of what it is to call someone a friend with whom you can be at home or talk on the phone. But he’s a guy I respect a lot because of the way he always talks about me.” clarified.

Cristiano Ronaldo indicated that “if Portugal wins the Qatar 2022 World Cup” he will retire from professional football

In another section of the interview, the “Commander” pointed out that he will leave football if he touches glory in Qatar. “I think I’m going to have a great World Cup. I am ready, physically and mentally. I would retire if Portugal win the World Cup”, were the words of the Portuguese.

However, if the maximum victory for the Portuguese team is not given, Cristiano Ronaldo hopes to play for a while longer: “I want to play two or three more years. So 2 or 3 years max. I want to finish at 40. I think 40 will be a good age, but I don’t know, I don’t know the future.”