Real Madrid midfielder Isco has heaped praise on goalkeeper Iker Casillas, rating him as the "best in the world".

Casillas found himself on the bench for the second half of last season, but while Isco believes that Diego Lopez was "fantastic" last term, he thinks that his Spain teammate will start the club's opening La Liga game on Sunday.

The 21-year-old told reporters: "For me, Casillas is the best in the world, having won everything in recent years.

"They are both keepers who have proven themselves to be huge talents over their careers. Diego was fantastic last year.

"I think that it's great that there's such healthy competition between the posts."

Isco rejected interest from Manchester City to sign for Real Madrid during the summer.