“It isn’t easy” – When Lionel Messi commented on his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo 

Lionel Messi (left) and Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi was asked about his La Liga rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo during an interview in 2020. At the time, the Argentine still represented Barcelona, but his Portuguese rival had moved on from Real Madrid.

The 39-year-old striker decided to join Juventus in the summer of 2018 from the Santiago Bernabeu for a reported fee of €117 million. When asked about how it was competing with Ronaldo, Messi told Dazn Italia at the time (via ESPN):

"It was special and it was a duel that will remain forever as it went on for many years and it isn't easy to keep competing at the highest level for so long."