In his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his admiration for Lionel Messi and explained why he has so much respect for his long-time rival.
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The 37-year-old has found himself in hot water in recent days following the full release of his controversial sit-down interview with TalkTV.
Ronaldo has received strong criticism for comments he has made about manager Erik ten Hag, United and the club's owners, but he did speak well of his long-time Ballon d'Or rival Messi.
The five-time Golden Ball winner called the Argentine "magic" in his chat with the British broadcaster, saying he has a lot of respect for the Argentine and his family.
"Amazing player is magic, top… As a person, we share the stage 16 years, imagine, 16 years," he said.
"So, I have great relationship with him. I'm not friend of him — but it's like a teammate.
"He's [Messi] a guy that I really respect the way he always speak about me.
"Even his wife or my wife, my girlfriend, they always respect and they're from Argentina. My girlfriend is from Argentina. So good."
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Ronaldo and Messi are currently preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with it thought that this could be their final opportunity to lift the prestigious trophy.
The two superstars, at their height of their careers, competed with one another while representing Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain in what will forever remain as the game's greatest player rivalry.
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