Lionel Messi has admitted he still thinks about his fierce duels with Cristiano Ronaldo during their respective times in La Liga.
The Ronaldo vs Messi era of Spain's top flight was one of the most fascinating in history, with the pair consistently shattering records in a never-ending attempt to claim superiority over the other in the greatest-of-all-time discussion.
The nine-year era came to an end in 2019 when Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus, while Messi is no longer in La Liga either after taking his talents to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
"It's been a long time since we stopped competing in the same league," he recalled to Marca. "We competed individually and as a team for the same goals.
"It was a very beautiful stage for us and also for the fans because they enjoyed it very much. It is a beautiful memory that will remain in the history of football."
Messi went on to reveal he has kept an eye on Ronaldo's performances with Manchester United this season, admitting he has been impressed with the Portugal international's immediate impact at Old Trafford.
"United are a very strong team with great players," he continued. "Cristiano already knew the club, but that was in another stage and now he has adapted in an impressive way. From the beginning, he has scored goals as always and had no problems adapting.
"In the Premier League, things haven't been going as well as we all thought, but it is a very difficult and even competition in which things take a lot of turns. After December, it changes a lot and anything can happen."
It's Ronaldo who has enjoyed the better individual form of the pair this season. He has bagged nine goals in 14 appearances for United, whereas Messi has found the back of the net four times in nine outings for PSG and only recently scored his first Ligue 1 goal.
However, from a team perspective, Messi may have the last laugh. Neither have really set the world on fire, but PSG sit top of Ligue 1, 11 points clear of their closest competition, while United have tumbled to eighth in the Premier League and sit 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Source : 90min