Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi spent more than a decade defining football’s greatest individual rivalry.
Their competition intensified when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009. For nine years, the pair regularly went head-to-head in Spain.
Together, they collected 13 Ballons d’Or between 2008 and 2023. Messi won eight, while Ronaldo claimed five.
However, their relationship away from the pitch was considerably friendlier than their intense sporting rivalry suggested.
Speaking to CNN Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that he sometimes helped Messi understand English during award ceremonies. Ronaldo said:
“We shared the award stages for 15 years. And we always got along very well. I remember a time or two translating for him what they were saying in English.”
Ronaldo explained that he would tell Messi what presenters were saying and help him understand upcoming questions. The Portuguese star said:
“Messi, you’re going to stay here. Afterwards, she’s going to ask you a question. And I would translate. The presenter would say to you: ‘We are going to do this’, and you would tell Messi: ‘Yes, very good’. And it was funny.”
Despite representing Real Madrid and Barcelona, Ronaldo insisted there was genuine respect between them.
“He always treated me well. Of course he defended his club and I, mine. He defended his national team and I, mine.”
Their rivalry pushed both players towards extraordinary individual standards throughout their careers.
Ronaldo believes that the competitive relationship ultimately helped both players perform at a higher level.
“It was a healthy rivalry, like the one they had maybe Ayrton Senna and Prost. I think we motivated each other.”
However, Ronaldo remains firm about his own position in debates surrounding football’s greatest player.
Ronaldo currently has 980 career goals and remains 20 away from reaching 1,000. His latest comments nevertheless offer another perspective on his relationship with Messi.
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