Lionel Messi: 'Cristiano Ronaldo is a phenomenal player'

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has branded Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo "a phenomenal player with a lot of quality", and played down suggestions that the duo are enemies.

Earlier this month, Ronaldo paid tribute to Messi, claiming that his supposed long-running rivalry with the Argentine international was a myth.

Ronaldo's comments have now been backed up by Messi, who has insisted that talk of friction between the pair, who are widely regarded as the two best players in world football, "is reinforced by the press".

"[The rivalry] is reinforced by the press, not by us," Messi told ESPN. "We try to achieve the best every year for our team and what is said outside of that I don't think is very important.

"He is a phenomenal player with a lot of quality, who outdoes himself each year. The entire world knows, and that is why he is one of the best of the world."

Messi and Ronaldo, who have won eight Champions League titles between them, have dominated the Ballon d'Or over the last nine years.