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What's the story?
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo was full of praise for his on-field rival Lionel Messi as the two aces sat side by side during the Champions League draw in Monaco on Thursday.
The 34-year-old added that he misses the rivalry he shared with the mercurial Argentine in La Liga before his move to Serie A in the summer of 2018.
In case you didn't know...
Messi and Ronaldo have redefined what it means to be a football player in the last decade, with the duo managing five Ballon d'Or awards each to back up their scintillating and consistent performances.
The pair formed the subject of the most intense individual rivalry in football and one of the best seen in Spain. However, their La Liga rivalry promptly came to an end when Ronaldo ended his nine-year association with Real Madrid to join Italian giants Juventus in 2018.
Since then, the Portugal international has helped the Bianconeri to the Supercoppa Italiana and the Serie A title, while being named the league's Player of the Year in the process.
Meanwhile, Messi guided Barcelona to the Spanish league title and won the European Golden Shoe and the Pichichi Trophy for his scintillating goalscoring efforts during the campaign.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo acknowledged the effect that Messi has had on his performances and has heaped praise on the Argentine as they were seated next to one another at the UEFA Champions League draw.
The Juventus star said,
"We shared the stage for 15 years, me and him. I don’t know that it’s ever happened in football, the same two guys, the same stage, all the time. It’s not easy. We have a good relationship. We’ve not had dinner together yet, but I hope [we will] in the future.
"Of course I miss playing in Spain – we’ve had that battle the last 15 years, which is good. It pushed me and I pushed him as well. It’s good to be part of the history of football. I’m there and of course, he’s there as well."
What's next?
While Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk beat both Messi and Ronaldo to be named UEFA Men's Player of the Year, Messi managed to walk out of the ceremony with the Best Forward prize.
