Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure has weakened Real Madrid and admitted to missing the Portuguese international.

The Argentinian faced absolutely no competition in winning the Pichichi this season, with Ronaldo plying trades for Juventus.

Messi explained that Ronaldo’s exit hurt Madrid, just like it could have happened to any team.

“Of course I miss Ronaldo, he made Real Madrid stronger. I said that they were going to feel the exit of Cristiano, as it would have happened to any team,” Messi told FOX Sports.

He added: “A few people got angry but it’s a reality, he scored 50 goals per season for them and it was a key factor in their success. The whole league misses him now.”

Arguably two of the greatest of this generation, the pair have always had mutual respect and agreed upon how both of them push each other to improve. Messi reiterated on how there is nothing but good vibes surrounding them.

“It was good for us both, we always wanted to improve ourselves.”

“We did not have much of a relationship. We knew each other only from matches and at award ceremonies, but we always had good vibes and often talk too,” he concluded.