Ronaldo Reveals How He Helped Messi at Ballon d’Or Ceremonies

Cristiano Ronaldo says his rivalry with Lionel Messi was friendlier than most fans think, and he even translated English for Messi at Ballon d’Or events.

The 41-year-old spoke to CNN Portugal about the two players who shared the spotlight for more than a decade. “We shared the award stages for 15 years,” he said. “And we always got along very well. I remember a time or two translating for him what they were saying in English, ‘Messi, you’re going to stay here’.”

He said he would help Messi through the media side of those nights. “Afterwards, she’s going to ask you a question. And I would translate. The presenter would say to you: ‘We are going to do this’, and you would tell Messi: ‘Yes, very good’. And it was funny,” Ronaldo said.

Even with the fierce competition, he says respect was always there. “He always treated me well. Of course he defended his club and I, mine. He defended his national team and I, mine.”

Ronaldo thinks the rivalry pushed both men to be better. “I think there were years where he wanted to give everything and score, and so did I,” he said. “It was a healthy rivalry, like the one they had maybe Ayrton Senna and Prost. I think we motivated each other.”

On paper, Messi is ahead in most big areas. He has eight Ballons d’Or and a World Cup win, and his World Cup triumph with Argentina is often used in the debate over who is the greatest of all time. Ronaldo does lead in one key area, with five Champions League titles to Messi’s four.

Ronaldo accepts that fans will pick different favourites, but he is not happy with any suggestion that he falls short. “Personal preference is one thing, saying this, this, this… prefer Messi, Pelé, or Maradona. I understand that and I respect it,” he said. “But saying that Cristiano isn’t complete is a lie.”

The Al Nassr forward also talked about the talk around his goal tally. He says people are ignoring how well he is playing now. 

“People are not appreciating my current form, my goals. They are more concerned with saying that there are 85 goals left, 85 goals to go… But I don’t like that. I don’t like it. Things have to happen naturally. If I score 920 goals, 925, 930… I am the best in history, full stop.”

He was relaxed about the 1,000 mark. “Scoring goals, the numbers speak for themselves. So, I’m not going to sit here and say that I have to reach a thousand goals. If I reach it, fantastic.”

Both players are now near the end of their careers. Messi has stepped away from international football, while Ronaldo’s future is in question after leaving the Portugal setup.