Don’t mind the media, Messi and I are good friends – Ronaldo

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has told Coach magazine he does not have a “big rivalry” with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and instead there is a “big mutual respect” between the pair.

Ronaldo, 31, and Messi, 29, are considered two of the best players in the world and have consistently starred in La Liga in recent years, competing for rival clubs Real and Barca.

When asked which opponent he admires the most, Ronaldo said, “There is a big mutual respect between myself and Lionel Messi. The media like to make out like we have this big rivalry, but we don’t. It is not like we are good friends, but there is a mutual respect on both sides.”