Barça star Messi has praise for "phenomenal" Cristiano Ronaldo
Leo Messi is currently in Australia with the Argentine national team
He and Ronaldo have shared the Ballon d'Or between them since 2008
Argentina captain Lionel Messi has given an interview to ESPN and among other things he has praised Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
"No, I have always said it -- and [Ronaldo] has, too -- that it's something more to do with the press than us," Messi said of his rivalry with the Portugal star.
"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. All the world knows [that] and that is why he is one of the best of the world."
The two have been the hallmarks of the Barça-Madrid rivalry in recent seasons. The Catalan side have usually got the better of that rivalry, but this year was for Los Blancos.
Madrid won the Champions League for the third time in four years, with Ronaldo scoring twice in the final, and also pipped Barcelona to the La Liga title, their first league triumph since 2012.
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