Cristiano Ronaldo: I'm a better player than Lionel Messi

The debate has rumbled over world football for years

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony in January (Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo has proclaimed that he is a better player than his long-term rival Lionel Messi.

The debate has rumbled on for years as to who is the best player in the world, with the Real Madrid ace Ronaldo and Barcelona talisman Messi swapping Ballon d'Or trophies.

In an interview for AS, Ronaldo said of the comparison with Messi: "It doesn’t bother me. If you look back over my past eight years, I’ve always been at the peak; and that is difficult. Name me someone else who has done it?

"After that, being No.1 or No.2 is a matter of small details, such as if you win trophies or not. Perhaps for you, Messi is the best; in my head, I am the best – and everyone should think that about ourselves. That is why I have been able to achieve so much in my career.

In the same interview, Ronaldo spoke about how he does not watch much football on television, despite his love of the game.

"Football is my life. It's the thing I hold dearest," he said. "That said, I'm not a huge fan of watching football on TV. I enjoy the big games, but I generally prefer to do other things at home."

The film, RONALDO is in cinemas on Monday for one day only and will be available on DVD, BD and Digital Download the same day.