Real Madrid legend Marcelo has now made a surprise admission involving Lionel Messi and his good friend Cristiano Ronaldo.
The two rivals, who are now both in the twilight of their careers, continue to split opinion among onlookers.
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The duo have dominated the sport for more than a decade, with the Argentine having claimed seven Ballon d'Or awards while the Portuguese superstar has five to his name.
It is not only fans and pundits who have continued to speak on the contentious topic, though, with active players and former teammates of both icons having also weighed in on who reigns supreme between them.
Marcelo has now admitted that he feels Messi is the strongest opponent he has come up against, despite having faced Ronaldo earlier in his career.
The Brazilian told The Athletic: "Messi is incredible, the toughest opponent I've ever faced. We all know the quality he has even now, aged 35, and before it was the same.
"ElClasico has always been one of the best games to watch and play. I was lucky enough to have featured in one of the best eras of Clasicos.
"But it wasn’t just Messi, there were other players who were also incredible.”
The new Fluminense star also touched on his relationship with Ronaldo, saying: "There were a lot of videos of Cris and I doing jokes in training, the celebration ("Siuuu!") and so on, but Sergio (Ramos), Casemiro, Luka (Modric), Karim (Benzema)… I have a lot of friends in football.
"Of course, what came out was always about Cristiano and the celebration and it’s super normal, but I have other friends as well with whom I do things outside of football."
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Ronaldo, who came up against the Brazilian in an international friendly in 2008, has previously spoken of his relationship with his ex-Real teammate, saying: "More than a teammate, a brother that football gave me.
"On and off the pitch, one of the greatest stars with whom I had the pleasure of sharing a dressing room."
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