Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s rivalry has been scintillating to watch down the years

Football draws and awards nights can often be dreary affairs, full of stilted speeches and goal montages.

But when you get two of the greatest players ever – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – agreeing to break bread over dinner and a philosophical monologue from Eric Cantona, it turns into an entirely different occasion.

For well over a decade now they’ve been fighting for supremacy and even at the age of 32 and 34 respectively they remain two of the world’s best players.

Messi and Ronaldo had a bromance going on at the UEFA awards

There were clear pangs of absence making the heart grow fonder between Juventus forward Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Messi as they shared jokes and laughs sat next to each other.

It was almost difficult to imagine that the two were such great rivals during Ronaldo’s nine years at Real Madrid and in the last decade of Ballon d’Or voting for the world’s greatest player.

“We have shared the stage 15 years. I don’t know if that’s happened before – the same two guys on the same stage all the time,” Ronaldo said.

“Of course, we have a good relationship. We haven’t had dinner together yet, but I hope in the future.

“We had that battle in Spain. I pushed him and he pushed me as well. So it’s good to be part of the history of football.”

With touching shows of affection like this, who would dare suggest that the pair do not get on?

Ronaldo: "We've not had dinner together yet, but I hope in the future!" 😃@Cristiano & Messi at the #UCLdraw 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/KOFY8680tU

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2019

When asked if he misses Ronaldo, Messi said in Spanish: “It was nice to have Cristiano in La Liga, especially since he was at Real Madrid.”

#FridayFeeling 🤣 pic.twitter.com/iyLoKa8IL0

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 30, 2019

Eric Cantona’s Cryptic Speech

The former Manchester Untied and France striker was speaking before the 2019-20 Champions League draw in Monaco, when he was given the Uefa president’s award.

Dressed in a flat cap and a red shirt, he began by quoting Shakespeare’s King Lear, saying “as flies to wanton boys we are for the gods” before continuing to reference science, war and crime.