Former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Michael Laudrup has claimed that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo "need each other".
The pair are widely regarded as the best two players currently in world football, and indeed two of the greatest of all time.
However, Laudrup believes that their rivalry has played a big role in what each has achieved in their respective careers.
"I think they need each other," he told EFE. "If one scores a hat-trick, the other tries to beat that.
"They are two of the best, not just of this era - in 30 years we'll be talking about them and the debate will be whether Messi, Cristiano, Maradona or Pele is the greatest of all time."
Ronaldo has scored 392 professional goals in 580 games, while Messi has registered 372 in 466.
