One of the candidates to win the "Golden Ball" awards - Cristiano Ronaldo - is convinced that the competition with Lionel Messi has helped him become a better footballer not only for himself, but also for the Argentinean himself.
"A lot of people say that playing against each other in Spain made us better players," - Portugal told the "France Football" magazine.
"I believe that this is true, because when I played in Madrid, I felt more competition than when I was at Manchester United.
I think it was a healthy competition. Both Leo and I were symbols of our clubs. He himself recently said that he missed me as a rival," - C. Ronaldo continued.
Five-time best player on the planet also revealed the impact of other people's opinions on him.
"It is always nice to hear when other people call you the best or simply a fantastic player. At the moment, I hear everything that is being said about me, but when my career comes to an end, I will completely distance myself from such things," Portugal said.
Talking about the same motivation, C. Ronaldo revealed that UEFA Champions League matches are often unmatched compared to regular league matches.
"If it depended only on me, I would always choose to play only in the most important matches - for the national team and in the Champions League tournament.
Matches that mean a lot give me additional motivation. The most important thing is to remain professional and show respect to your family and the club you represent," - Portuguese concluded.
