Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been compared and contrasted over their styles of play for almost a decade now. While the media and football pundits have spoken of their rivalry and debated which of them is the best player in the world at the moment, there is a level of respect between the two.

Messi admits that he has a great deal of respect for Ronaldo, but the Barcelona star said that was as far as his relationship went with the Real Madrid striker.

He went on to say that both of them wanted to win and that there was always respect between them. However, the 28-year-old did stop short of saying they have a cordial relationship.

The two players are considered the best players on the planet but only time will tell which one goes down in football history as the undisputed one.