Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has called his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo “healthy” and said it was good for the fans.

Ronaldo and Messi battled it out for over a decade in La Liga after the Portuguese star joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009.

They were both the dominant forces in Spain and world football for much of their time in La Liga, creating a rivalry like no other.

At Real Madrid, Ronaldo won the La Liga twice and lifted the Champions League four times.

Meanwhile, Messi has won an incredible nine La Liga titles (six of which were earned while Ronaldo was at Madrid) and also lifted the Champions League on four occasions.

MySportDab report Ronaldo’s spell in Spain ended when he signed for Italian club Juventus in the summer.

However, Messi has claimed that the pair’s time at the top of the game in Spain was a positive for football and for fans all over.

“The rivalry with Cristiano was very healthy and good for the fans,” the 31-year-old toldMarca.

In awards, Messi and Ronaldo have each won the Ballon d’Or five times, creating a duopoly on the award between 2008 and 2017.

That run was broken in 2018, with Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric lifting the prize and Messi controversially finishing fifth in the voting.

“I heard the nominees for the Ballon d’Or and I knew I wasn’t in the fight,” Messi said.

“I love football, but family is above all,” the Argentine added.