Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi believes Lionel Messi wouldn't have won four Ballon d'Or titles were it not for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Argentine has wrestled Ronaldo for the top individual gong for the last seven years - pipping his Portguese rival to the prize four times in succession between 2009 and 2013.
And the 28-year-old is the heavy favourite to win a record-extending fifth Ballon d'Or after helping Barcelona to the treble in 2015, scoring 41 goals for the La Liga champions in all competitions during the current calendar year.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is being tipped to finish short of Messi after winning the award in 2013 and 2014. Indeed, the odds suggest the current holder will be forced to settle for runner-up spot and Ronaldo himself last week conceded that Messi is likely to win.
Such an outcome would mean the pair have occupied both first and second spot between them four times in the last five years, and Xavi believes they are pushing eachother to greatness.
The 35-year-old told ESPN: "He [Messi] wouldn’t be as good without Ronaldo. He wouldn’t have won all those Ballons d’Or. And I don’t think Ronaldo would have won them all too. They push each other. The difference between the two is that while they’re both great goalscorers, Messi is much more involved in the play of the team.
"Pele and Diego Maradona both made a huge difference, but football has evolved. The players are better than they were, the game is better. Physically, tactically, technically and psychologically, football is better than ever. And Messi stands out as the best at the best time in the history of football.”
