Cristiano Ronaldo Says He Never Saw Lionel Messi as a Rival After UCL Match

For years, one of the biggest debates in world soccer centered around whether Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi was the better player.

Following Juventus' 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, Ronaldo downplayed any competitive rivalry with Messi on the pitch, per ESPN FC's Samuel Marsden: 

"I have always had a cordial relationship with Messi. As I have said before, for 12, 13, 14 years [I have been] sharing prizes with him.

"I never saw him as a rival. He always tried the best for his team and I tried the best for mine. I always got on well with him. I am sure he will say the same if you ask him.

"But we know in football people always look for a rivalry to create more excitement."

Regardless of what Ronaldo says, he and Messi have been inextricably linked for more than a decade.

Ronaldo finished runner-up to Kaka in the 2007 Ballon d'Or voting, with Messi coming in third. The Portuguese star earned his first Ballon d'Or in 2008 as Messi placed second. One or the other has lifted the trophy in 11 of the past 12 years.

Ronaldo and Messi were also on opposite sides for one of the sport's biggest derbies for a period of nine seasons while the former starred for Real Madrid. Barcelona claimed six La Liga titles to two for Madrid during that stretch, but Los Blancos had a slight edge in the Champions League, winning the competition four times to Barca's two.

Their joint involvement in El Clasico only added to the Ronaldo/Messi dynamic.

Time waits for no man, even when that man is a legendary athlete.

Tuesday's fixture carried an added level of meaning because it might be the last time Ronaldo and Messi cross paths in a meaningful match. The former turns 36 in February, while latter is 33 and might wind up playing elsewhere in 2021-22 after he was unable to secure a transfer from Barcelona earlier this year.

Clearly there will be a time when Ronaldo and Messi are no longer two of the best players in the world, but it will feel odd nonetheless when that's no longer the case.