Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he was forced to act as an emergency translator for Lionel Messi at an awards ceremony as he insisted the two rivals share a good relationship. Ronaldo and Messi have been huge rivals for much of their senior careers, one which became particularly actue during their spells at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. The duo have faced each other 36 times in competitive matches for club and country since their first meeting in April 2008.
Messi leads the head-to-head record with 16 wins to Ronaldo's 11, while there have been nine draws. The Argentine also holds both the scoring record, netting 22 times to Ronaldo's 21, and the assist record, laying on 11 goals for his team-mates compared to just one from his rival. They have also battled when it comes to award time, with the duo sharing 13 Ballon d'Ors between them. But Ronaldo has now insisted that their rivalry was more friendly than fans may have thought, as evidenced by one awards ceremony in particular.
"Messi? The rivalry was healthy. I've never had a bad relationship. On the contrary. We shared the stage at the awards for 15 years and we always got along very well. And I even remember that at one I used to translate what they said in English," Ronaldo told Chiringuito. "I translated for him, it was funny. He always treated me well. Obviously, he defended his club, I defended mine; he defended his national team, and I defended mine. I think we did help each other improve.
"I think there were years when he wanted to play everything and score, so did I. It was a healthy fight. I loved playing in the Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me, and I loved it!. "I will always have Madrid in my heart, it was the team where I was happiest. I have done very important things there, very beautiful things and that is why people do not forget. When you leave a legacy and a mark, people do not forget.".
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who is the greatest player in history? Comment below. While he insists his rivalry with Messi is friendly, Ronaldo has insisted he is the 'most complete' player ever. The 39-year-old cited his scoring record, with the forward remarkably closing in on the 1,000 goals mark. “If I finish on 920, 925 goals… it doesn't matter to me at all. I am the best in history. Period. If I reach 1,000 goals, great. If not, that's fine too. Numbers don’t lie," Ronaldo added.
“If I could achieve it, it would be great… but I'm not obsessed with it. It's getting a bit annoying to talk about. I am the best player ever, I believe that. I'm fast, I'm strong, [I score] with my header, with the left. "No one has ever been more complete than me. I’m the most complete player ever. To say that Cristiano isn’t complete is a lie. You may prefer Pele, Messi, Maradona, I understand and respect that.".
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