Cristiano Ronaldo Hopes He and Lionel Messi Have Dinner Together Some Day

Cristiano Ronaldo was all praise of the rivalry he and Lionel Messi have shared at the top of the footballing world and said he shared a 'good relationship' with the Argentinian.

Ronaldo and Messi were in the running for the UEFA Best Men's Player of the Year award but Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk took the award after a scintillating last season, where he led his club to the UEFA Champions League title.

Ronaldo and Messi sat next to each other at the event and there were quite a few moments where the two were seen sharing pleasantries. During the award function, the presenter asked Ronaldo about his rivalry with Messi and the Portugal forward said it wasn't easy to do what the two have done for so long.

"We shared the stage for 15 years, me and him," Ronaldo said at the Champions League draw. "I don't know that it's ever happened in football, the same two guys, the same stage, all the time. It's not easy.

"We have a good relationship. We've not had dinner together yet, but I hope [we will] in the future," he added.

Ronaldo, who played for Real Madrid in Spain for nine years before joining Juventus in the summer last season, was involved in a constant battle with FC Barcelona's Messi and said that the two continuously pushed each other.

"Of course I miss playing in Spain - we've had that battle the last 15 years, which is good. It pushed me and I pushed him as well.

"It's good to be part of the history of football. I'm there and of course he's there as well."

Ronaldo was asked about the rumours of his retirement plans but he quashed them saying, his haters are still going to see him.

"He's (Messi) two years younger than me, but I think I look good for my age," Ronaldo said. "I hope to be here next year and then in two years and three years. So the people that don't like me, they're going to see me here."

Messi matched Ronaldo's praise of their rivalry and called their long-running battle a "beautiful" one.

"With Cristiano, it was a beautiful rivalry," he said.

"It's nice to score goals. The goal is always to try to do things to win, before scoring. But if you can win and score, then [it's] better."