Cristiano Ronaldo Claims Never Having Dinner with Lionel Messi

Thursday’s UEFA Champions League draw saw each of 32 clubs learn their fate in the competition. The ceremony also gave out a few awards including the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, just like so many times in the past, were among the three short-listed candidates for the men’s award. Though Vigil van Dijk beat the duo to claim the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2018/19, Messi and Ronaldo were not completely out of news. They were seen sharing a light moment where latter talked about the relationship between them in 15 years of dominating the big stage.

“We shared the stage (for) 15 years,” Ronaldo said. “Me and him. I don’t know if it has ever happened in football. The same two guys on the same stage, all the time. It is not easy.

Ronaldo, 34, smirked about not having dinner with the Barcelona superstar, which brought a smile in the crowd at the ceremony including Messi.

“Of course, we have a good relationship,” Ronaldo said. “We have not had dinner together — yet. But I hope in the future.”

“He pushed me and I pushed him as well, so it is good to be part of the history of football. I am there and of course he is there as well.”

Watch the video clip of Ronaldo talking about Messi:

Lionel Messi was the first winner of the award when it was introduced in 2011. Messi later won in 2015, while Ronaldo received the award three times. Andres Iniesta and Franck Ribbery are the two other previous winners, while van Dijk, this year, became the first defender to win the award. The Dutch international, in fact, broke the streak of either Messi and Ronaldo winning the award since 2014. Another streak involving the duo was broken last year, when Luka Modric became the first person other than Messi or Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or since 2008.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have won the Ballon d’Or five times each, and will be looking forward to win a sixth this year.