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<\/div>\nCristiano Ronaldo\u00a0said his rivalry with\u00a0Lionel Messi\u00a0\u201cis gone,\u201d with the pair having already \u201cchanged the history of football.\u201d<\/p>\n
The duo has dominated the sport for over a decade, winning a combined 79 trophies and being the only two players to have scored over 800 goals each.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see things like that, the rivalry is gone,\u201d\u00a0Ronaldo said. \u201cIt was good, spectators liked it.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThose who like Cristiano Ronaldo don\u2019t have to hate Messi and vice versa. We\u2019ve done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that\u2019s the most important thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I\u2019ve seen, he\u2019s been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don\u2019t see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I\u2019m not saying we\u2019re friends, I\u2019ve never had dinner with him, but we\u2019re professional colleagues and we respect each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
World Cup\u00a0winner Messi joined\u00a0Inter Miami CF\u00a0in June\u00a0as a free agent\u00a0after two seasons at\u00a0Paris Saint-Germain.<\/p>\n
Argentina\u00a0captain Messi became the\u00a0most decorated football player\u00a0when he won his 44th trophy after helping Inter Miami lift the 2023 Leagues Cup in August.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo, meanwhile, won his first title with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, the club he joined in January from\u00a0Manchester United, when he lifted the Arab Club Champions Cup last month.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Portugal\u00a0skipper became the\u00a0only player to have scored\u00a0850 goals in Saturday\u2019s 5-1 win at Al Hazem.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a historic landmark,\u201d Ronaldo, 38, said. \u201cFor me, it was a source of pride the numbers I achieved, which I didn\u2019t think I could reach.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I want more. While playing the game, the bar has to be high, thinking big.\u201d<\/p>\n
The five-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner is also proud to have become the pioneer for other star players who have joined the\u00a0Saudi Pro League.<\/p>\n
At the start of the summer,\u00a0Karim Benzema\u00a0and\u00a0N\u2019Golo Kant\u00e9\u00a0joined Saudi Pro League defending champions Al Ittihad,\u00a0Senegal\u00a0goalkeeper\u00a0\u00c9douard Mendy\u00a0signed for Al Ahli, and former\u00a0Chelsea\u00a0star\u00a0Kalidou Koulibaly\u00a0joined Al Hilal.<\/p>\n
Moreover,\u00a0Marcelo Brozovic\u00a0moved to Ronaldo\u2019s Al-Nassr,\u00a0Roberto Firmino\u00a0completed a free transfer move to Al Ahli after leaving\u00a0Liverpool, and\u00a0Brazil\u00a0star\u00a0Neymar\u00a0signed for Al Hilal\u00a0following a \u20ac90m transfer\u00a0from PSG.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew this [transfer market] was going to happen. I said it six months ago and everyone thought I was the crazy one,\u201d Ronaldo said. \u201cBut, after all, the crazy guy is not that crazy, and it turns out to be normal to play in the Arab league.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it was a great privilege to change the culture of a country in terms of football and to have great stars go to\u00a0Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the pioneer, and I am proud of it. What I want most is to continue to always evolve, so that [the league] is top-notch.\u201d<\/p>\n
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