Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not friends. Far from it. While no one can call them enemies, the two superstars are known for having no relationship. There is speculation that Ronaldo may even have some animosity toward his Argentinean rival.
Despite this intense rivalry, Messi has stated that he is pleased to see Ronaldo at the World Cup next summer.
"I was very happy for him when he scored those goals," Messi said, according to ESPN. "It's just great when the best teams compete in Brazil, and Cristiano has had a great scoring rate for many years now. He plays at an outstanding level."
He also took the time to elaborate on Ronaldo's play of late and noted that he questioned whether Ronaldo, who has 16 goals and three assists in 13 Spanish League matches this season, was in his best form ever.
"I don't know if this is Cristiano's best moment, but he is always there, scoring goals in all the games and playing his part for his club and his country," said Messi. "He has been like that for many years. Whether he is at his best, or a bit below that, there is almost no difference."
Ronaldo recently scored three goals in Portugal's 3-2 win over Sweden that clinched the nation a World Cup berth. Ronaldo is said to be the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this year despite failing to win a single trophy next season.
Adding a wrinkle to this rivalry is the possibility that Ronaldo and Messi could wind up in the same group at the tournament next summer. Argentina is one of the top seeds, while Portugal could be picked from the UEFA pot to join Messi's group. Of the eight groups in the tournament in 2010, five had two European nations, meaning that Portugal's chances of drawing in Argentina's group are high.