Cristiano Ronaldo honours Lionel Messi as he retires

Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi are two giants of the football world, but now the latter has retired, leaving only the Portuguese striker in the game.

Fans of both titans often have a fierce rivalry, but the Al-Nassr FC player showed respect after the Argentinian icon played his last international game.

“Leo, after so many years representing and defending your country, you’ve created a legacy that will last forever,” Ronaldo wrote in a comment on Messi's retirement post on social media.

“I have nothing but respect for everything you’ve achieved with Argentina. All the best," he penned.

The post, which capped off an extraordinary 21-year international career of Argentina's striker, read, "Yesterday was my last game, and I already miss wearing the blue and white. I know I'm making the right decision."

"It's been an incredible journey, full of joy and also some sadness, but I know for sure that every step I took was worth it," the statement continued.

"I don't want to forget Diego (Maradona), who put our country where it deserved to be and who, as I always say, I know helped us both by being here with us and also from heaven, with every step we took.

"Thank you to the clubs where I played, for always respecting my feelings and allowing me to dedicate myself to my country whenever it was time to put on the national team shirt," Messi wrote in a lengthy post.