Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates his second goal against Elche during their Spanish first division soccer match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona August 24, 2014.
Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates his second goal against Elche during their Spanish first division soccer match at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona August 24, 2014. REUTERS/Gustau Nacarino

Barcelona star Lionel Messi did not deny that he somehow hoped that he can play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the same team. The Argentina national team captain expressed his desire to team up with Ronaldo even before he lost the most honourable award that a top player can receive from FIFA, the Ballon d'Or.

During the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, Messi and Ronaldo's votes were so close but Ronaldo took home the award and Messi came in second. For the past couple of years, the two have been battling over the most coveted FIFA award, but apparently, the odds were not on Messi's side this year.

The Argentine talisman considered himself very fortunate to be given many chances to play with many great players, except Ronaldo. Mirror reported that among all the players Messi played football with in the past, Cristiano Ronaldo is the one he wants to team up with the most.

After Ronaldo received the Ballon d'Or award, he became the world's top player of all time, which makes playing with him surely a privilege. Despite Messi's desire of playing with Ronaldo in the same team as him, the latter has yet to set his sights on beating Messi to the fourth crown.

Meanwhile, for Ronaldo, receiving the Ballon d'Or award was a very unforgettable moment. He received warm support from colleagues, teammates, friends, and relatives. In fact, Rafael Nadal sent him a video message congratulating him on his success; the tennis star also told him that he is considered as the player of all ages. The tennis superstar further told Ronaldo in the video, which was sent by Ronaldo's fan for the latter to watch, that Ronaldo has successfully set the playing standards that any player, whether aspiring or professional like him, needs to reach.

For the past seven years, Messi and Ronaldo were alternatively hogging the limelight in winning the Ballon d'Or award. The years 2008, 2013, and 2014 were all glorifying years for Ronaldo, while Messi enjoyed the award from 2009 to 2012.

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