Cristiano Ronaldo pays tribute to Lionel Messi after his international retirement

Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to Lionel Messi after the Argentine's final match for his national team. The Portuguese sent a message to his great rival, as reported by several media outlets, including RMC Sport, Mundo Deportivo, Hürriyet Spor, TuttoMercatoWeb, ElDesmarque, A Bola and Record.

A message of respect

In his message, Cristiano Ronaldo praised Lionel Messi's career, referring to "a story that will remain forever." He also expressed his respect for the Argentine, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, which reports the Portuguese's words: "Storia che rimarrà per sempre, hai tutto il mio rispetto" (a story that will remain forever, you have all my respect).

Ronaldo's message comes after Messi played his last match with Argentina, as ElDesmarque notes. The Spanish outlet stresses that the Portuguese addressed his rival after this fixture.

A respectful rivalry

TuttoMercatoWeb comments on this gesture, noting that the respect between the two players endures, despite the years and the clashes they had as great rivals. The Italian outlet thus highlights the persistence of this mutual esteem.

The various media that relayed the message agree on its content, even if the wording varies slightly. A Bola and Record, in Portugal, also mention "a story that will remain forever," while Hürriyet Spor, in Turkey, reports that Ronaldo wrote to Messi: "You have written a story that will live forever."

An expected reaction

This message from Cristiano Ronaldo comes in a particular context, that of Lionel Messi's international retirement. The reactions of the two players and their respective clubs have not been reported by the available sources. The rest of Messi's career, now without the Argentine national team, remains to be seen.