India, May 9 -- Lionel Messi has placed his rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo in its cleanest frame yet, calling it a "beautiful sporting rivalry" while reflecting on the years when the two football icons pushed each other through the most-watched individual duel of the modern game.

Speaking to Pollo Alvarez on his YouTube show Lo del Pollo, Messi said the comparison with Ronaldo grew naturally because of the stage, the clubs, and the stakes involved during their peak years in Spain.

"What happened was a beautiful sporting rivalry," Lionel Messi said when asked about his long-running competition with Ronaldo.

The Argentine legend explained that the rivalry was intensified by the Barcelona-Real Madrid divide, with both players competing si...