Paris Saint-Germain's Sergio Ramos backs Lionel Messi for Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos has backed teammate and old foe Lionel Messi to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or.

The two players were long-time rivals at Real Madrid and Barcelona but shared the pitch on the same team for the first time in Sunday's win over Saint-Etienne.

The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or will be announced on Monday, and Ramos has put his faith in Messi to secure a record-extending seventh crown.

Speaking to ESPN, Ramos said: "Yes, of course [I hope he wins]. I'm going to defend the guys in my team. I wish him all the luck in the world.

"He's in good shape, and I think he's the kind of player who really makes a difference. He's a unique player and it's a privilege to have him in the team.

'I think that bit by bit, each of us is going to bring our own quality to make Paris Saint-Germain even greater and achieve the things we want to achieve."

Messi only has four goals to his name from 11 games in a PSG shirt but amassed 38 goals and 18 assists from 48 appearances during his final season at Barcelona.