Lionel Messi believes Cristiano Ronaldo is “on the same level” as him and has “a great deal of respect for Juventus.”

The Barcelona star gave a brief interview and was asked about the best players in the world at present and was full of praise for CR7.

The Barcelona and Argentina star has been trading Ballon d’Ors with Ronaldo in recent years, with the battle raging on fan forums as to who is the strongest of the two.

“There are so many good players now. Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Luis Suarez, Eden Hazard, any of them could become the best in the world,” Messi told Radio 94.7 Club Octubre.

“I didn’t include Cristiano Ronaldo in that list, because I consider him to be on the same level as me. It was fun to play against him, even if he made me suffer too. It irritated me seeing Real Madrid lift trophies.

“I do wish he was still in Spain, but I have a great deal of respect for Juventus. They seem a very strong squad, with excellent players, and are now even stronger with Cristiano.”