Lionel Messi: 'I do not compete with Cristiano Ronaldo'

Lionel Messi has insisted that he is not in competition with Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the constant comparisons between the two attackers.

The Argentine forward also believes that the Portuguese winger adopts the same attitude, with neither of them motivated by the other's success.

When asked in an interview with Yahoo! about his rivalry with Real Madrid's No.7, Messi said: "These are things that [other] people say.

"I don't compete with Cristiano and I suppose he would not compete with me — what I want is the very best for my teams and that's what I am working for."

Messi is currently sidelined with a knee injury and is expected to miss next month's El Clasico.