´I have a lot of respect and admiration for Ronaldo´, says Messi

Lionel Messi said he has a lot of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, but the two legends are “not friends”.

Messi made headlines once again after his free-kick gave Inter Miami their first-ever Club World Cup victory, beating Porto 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Ronaldo was linked with a move to Miami, along with other clubs such as Al-Hilal, to participate in the competition, but nothing came to fruition.

Messi has shared the stage with Ronaldo, though, highlighted by their spells in LaLiga with Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.

The two forwards dominated every competition they played in and also won the Ballon d’Or awards from 2008 to 2017, both winning five each in that time, but Messi has since won three more.

Leo. #FIFACWC pic.twitter.com/OV6DQne1wT

— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) June 19, 2025

Messi was full of admiration when asked about Ronaldo, but said there is not much of a relationship between the pair off the pitch.

“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, and for the career he’s had and continues to have,” said Messi.

“He is still competing at the highest level. The competition with him was on the pitch… Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Everything stayed on the pitch.

“Off the pitch, we are two normal guys. We’re not friends because we don’t spend time together, but we’ve always treated each other with a lot of respect.”