It seems that Cristiano Ronaldo just can’t keep Lionel Messi’s name out of his mouth.

The Portuguese superstar has regularly spoken about the Argentinian forward and their fierce rivalry throughout his career.

There has been praise, claims that he is the better player and even requests to join him in Italy.

Messi isn’t the most vocal of people and he’s rarely spoken about Ronaldo, although in March 2019 he admitted to missing their battles in La Liga.

But, following Ronaldo’s recent suggestion that the difference between them is that he’s won the Champions League with different clubs, we’ve rounded up all of the 35-year-old’s comments about his rival.

And it’s clear that Ronaldo enjoys talking about Messi.

This story won't include Spanish journalist Guillem Balague's suggestion that Ronaldo calls Messi a "motherf**ker" behind his back.

May 2009 | ‘I’m still No.1’

Ahead of the 2009 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona, Ronaldo asserted his belief that he would remain the world’s best player regardless of the outcome.

It followed Ronaldo being crowned World Player of the Year for 2008 ahead of Messi.

“It made me proud to be recognised as the best. I always believed I was the best, but it was an honour to become the official number one - and I still think I am at the top,” Ronaldo said, per Sky Sports.

"Sometimes it is clear that if it is a close fight between two players for the European or world player of the year then winning the Champions League can decide the outcome.

"I won it last year because Manchester United won the Champions League and the Premier League, but I also won it because I scored 42 goals myself.”

May 2012 | ‘I’m better than Messi’

Speaking after Real Madrid finished nine points ahead of Barcelona to win La Liga in 2012, Ronaldo again expressed his belief that he was the better of the two forwards.

“Some people say I'm better, other people say it's him, but at the end of the day, they're going to decide who is the best player," Ronaldo told CNN.

"At the moment ... I think it is me.

Ronaldo went on to say he shouldn’t be compared with Messi.

"Sometimes (the comparisons with Messi) makes me tired ... for him too because they compare us together all the time.

"You cannot compare a Ferrari with a Porsche because it's a different engine. You cannot compare them.

“He does the best things for Barcelona, I do the best things for Madrid.

"I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high.”

August 2014 | ‘Messi and I are colleagues, work friends’

Ronaldo discussed his rivalry with Messi in depth in a 2014 interview with Marca.

Asked if they shared a difficult relationship, the Portugal international replied: “It's not like that at all.

“We're colleagues. We're work friends, so to speak, and so, obviously, we don't have a relationship outside the world of football, just as we don't with a lot of other players.

“He tries to do his best for his club and for his national team, as I do, and there is a degree of rivalry with both of us trying to do the best for the teams we represent.”

Ronaldo went on to admit he hopes they can both look back on their battles in years to come and laugh.

“I hope so. Football is a game, a pastime and something we like to do,” he added.

“Football is a great thing that everyone likes to watch. We have to look on this rivalry with a positive spirit, because it's a good thing.”

June 2017 | ‘We’re not friends but I respect him’

Ronaldo gave an insight into his relationship with Messi when he spoke to Fox Sports Argentina.

He admitted that they aren’t friends, but he respects the Argentinian and enjoys watching him play.

“In terms of my relationship with Messi, I'm not his friend but we are colleagues,” Ronaldo said, per the Mirror.

“We've shared a lot of moments together in premieres over the last 10 years and I have a very good relationship with him.

“We don’t sit down to eat together, but I respect him. He’s a work colleague, not a rival.

“I like to see all the good footballers and he is one of them, it’s a good crack. I really enjoy seeing him play.

“How would I not like someone who hasn't done anything bad - it's the opposite. When they ask Messi about Cristiano, he also talks positively about me.

“My relationship with him is cordial and we have mutual respect for each other."

July 2018 | ‘I don’t consider Messi a rival’

In his first press conference following his £99.2 million move to Juventus last summer, Ronaldo admitted he’s never viewed his battles with Messi as a rivalry.

"I don't have rivalries against players," he said, per O Jogo. "That's not part of my ethics.

"It was a good challenge against Messi, you all enjoyed it and it was interesting. But I never thought of it as a rivalry."

October 2018 | 'Only Messi and I could be at the top for 10 years'

Ronaldo leapt huge praise on his counterpart last year.

“How many players are capable of playing at the highest level for more than 10 years?

“You count them on one hand. There are two, Messi and I,” Ronaldo told France Football, per Sport.

December 2018 | ‘I would like him to come to Italy’

Ronaldo sent Messi a challenge last December, telling Barca’s No.10 to leave La Liga and come to Serie A.

“I’ve played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and for my national team, while he’s still in Spain,” Ronaldo told Gazzetta dello Sport, per the Independent.

“Maybe he needs me more... For me, life is a challenge, I like it and I like to make people happy.

“I’d like him to come to Italy one day. I hope he accepts the challenge like me, but if he’s happy there then I respect that.”

August 2019 | ‘The difference? I’ve won the Champions League with more than one club’

How do you split Ronaldo and Messi?

In the eyes of the Juventus star, just look at their Champions League records.

"The difference with me is that I've played for different clubs and I also won the Champions League with different clubs," he told DAZN.

“I was the top scorer in the Champions League six times in a row.”