Cristiano Ronaldo has characterized his longtime rivalry with Lionel Messi as "gone," expressing respect for his longtime competitor.

Ronaldo's comments were found in Record, a Portuguese newspaper. ESPN's Adriana Garcia relayed the quotes.

"I don't see things like that, the rivalry is gone. It was good, spectators liked it.

"Those who like Cristiano Ronaldo don't have to hate Messi and vice versa. We've done well, we have changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing.

"He's followed his path and I have followed mine, regardless of playing outside of Europe. From what I've seen, he's been doing well and so have I. The legacy lives on, but I don't see the rivalry like that. We shared the stage many times, it was 15 years. I'm not saying we're friends, I've never had dinner with him, but we're professional colleagues and we respect each other."

Either Ronaldo or Messi won the Ballon d'Or every year from 2008 to 2017 as the two competed for the title of the best footballer in the world.

Both have tremendous resumes as they continue their careers.

Among many other accomplishments, Ronaldo has won seven league titles, five Champions League titles and five Ballon d'Or awards. He also owns the record for most goals (140) and assists (42) in Champions League play.

Messi owns seven Ballon d'Or awards and six European Golden Shoes. He led Barcelona to 10 La Liga crowns and four Champions League titles during his storied career. He also just led Argentina to their third-ever World Cup victory.