Cristiano Ronaldo reached out to Lionel Messi with a heartfelt message of support following the death of the Argentina captain’s father, Jorge Messi.
Ronaldo responded to Messi’s emotional tribute to his late father on Instagram on Wednesday, writing: “Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza.”
The message translates as: “A huge hug to you and your loved ones during these difficult moments, Leo. Stay strong.”
Ronaldo and Messi spent almost two decades at the centre of football’s greatest individual rivalry, competing for major trophies and individual honours while representing Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Their rivalry became one of the defining stories in the history of the sport, but Ronaldo’s brief message offered a glimpse of the mutual respect between the two superstars beyond the pitch.
Messi, 39, revealed on Wednesday that he is finding it difficult to imagine continuing his football career following Jorge’s death last week at the age of 68. The former Barcelona star said his father had been by his side from the very beginning of his career and admitted that he now has doubts about how much longer he will continue playing.