Lionel Messi: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a good person and a good player"

Barcelona's star player, Lionel Messi, granted an interview to "Time" magazine this past week, on which he addressed several interesting topics. Usually, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi avoid to talk about each other whenever they are asked to, but this time, the Argentinian had a few kind words reserved for the Portuguese and Real Madrid star. This interview wasn't the only reason why the Argentinian got into the spotlights over the last days though, since he also stepped into the middle of a recent controversy this last weekend due to his statements about a few Spanish referees being arrogant, just moments after Barça dropped two valuable points in La Liga, as a result of a goalless draw against Villarreal.

The topic of the interview then changed to Cristiano Ronaldo, as the journalist attempted to know what Messi thinks of the Portuguese and Real Madrid star. Messi: "I think Cristiano Ronaldo is a good person and a good player, who brings a lot to Real Madrid. He certainly can decide the fate of a game in any given moment", started by noting the Argentinian player. He then kept on by sharing his view on whether their rivalry could have helped him somehow to evolve as a football player.

Messi: "I honestly don't think so. I never worried or tried to compare myself with other players. In my mind, I always set as my objective to become a better player each year, both individually and as a team, and if Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't playing, my targets would be exactly the same."