There is no one in the world of football and beyond that isn’t aware of the rivalry between the sport’s biggest stars- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Since the Ballon d’Or of 2007, no other player has won football’s most coveted individual prize.
This, and the battle for number one, has even sparked rumours of deep enmity between the pair.
However, the Barcelona star has stated that despite the heated competition, there is mutual respect between him and his Real Madrid counterpart.
”We are professionals that defend our teams, and rivals in this game, nothing more than that, sometimes it happens that we win or that we lose. There has always been respect and nothing more.” Messi told Argentine newspaper El Grafico.