Despite his claims to the contrary, Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that he and the Argentine superstar Leo Messi are not buddies.

One does not “have to hate Lionel Messi,” as Cristiano Ronaldo put it, but the Portuguese great did confess that he does not get along with the Argentine superstar.

The Portuguese player admitted openly that he and Messi no longer compete with each other for the title of greatest player of all time. He pleaded with his followers not to “hate” the Argentine maestro and instead to respect both players “who changed the history of football.”

You don’t have to detest Messi just because you admire Cristiano. The two are revered because of the impact they had on football’s past. Rivalry? After 15 years of performing together, I don’t see things that way. He told the press, “I’m not saying we are friends, but we respect each other.”

For more than a decade, Ronaldo and Messi played in Spain for Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, where they pushed each other to their limits and defied the odds in one of the greatest rivalries in sports history. Both celebrities, though, have abandoned Europe in their latter years for greener pastures. While Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Messi relocated to the United States to play for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

On Friday, Ronaldo will lead Portugal in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Slovakia, while Messi will captain Argentina in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ecuador at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.