Both men have won the coveted Ballon d’Or five times and are considered to be two of the greatest players of all time.
Ronaldo spent nine years with Real Madrid, before joining Juventus in 2018 and Messi recently acknowledged the pair spurred each other on in their quest for individual honours.
The Portuguese superstar has now echoed those views, telling France Football: “A lot of people said that we fed each other, that being together in Spain made us better.
“That’s certainly true. I felt his presence more in Madrid than in Manchester. It was a healthy rivalry. We were the symbols of our clubs.
“It’s always nice to be spoken of in a flattering way. It’s nice if they say I’ve been the best, a fantastic player.
“Today, I hear everything they say about me, but when it’s all over, at the end of my career, I won’t mind because I’ll disconnect from everything.”
