Ronaldo rips Xavi over Messi remarks: 'He's never won a Ballon d'Or'

Cristiano Ronaldo's biggest supporter, Cristiano Ronaldo, has hit back at former Barcelona star Xavi over claims that his Blaugrana brethren Lionel Messi is a better player than the Portuguese Euro 2016 winner.

Speaking with reporters Saturday after his return to Real Madrid in a 5-2 victory over Osasuna, Ronaldo slammed Xavi's comments from earlier in the week.

"I couldn't care less about what Xavi says about me, he plays in Qatar or I don't even know where. He's won every collective trophy, including a World Cup and the European Championship, but he's never won a Ballon d'Or," Ronaldo told Marca.

Xavi, who played alongside the Messi during a decorated tenure at the Camp Nou, said earlier in the week that Ronaldo, while one of his generation's elite, is unquestionably second to the Argentine goal-machine in terms of being the world's best.

"Ronaldo is a player of his time," Xavi told Cadena SER, courtesy of Marca. "The problem is that there is another who has been pretty much the best player in history.

"Ronaldo is extraordinary but compared to Messi, for me and for everyone who likes football, there can be no comparisons."

While Xavi's opinion tends to be the prevailing one in football, the debate over the world's best has become a circus, and Ronaldo appears more than happy to take a spin on the carousel of contention.

"I'm the most searched player on the internet," Ronaldo offered. "Anyone who wants free publicity or media attention talks about me."

Xavi's sentiments come as no surprise, as he and Messi enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in Catalonia together. While at Barca, Xavi won the league eight times coupled with three domestic cups and a quartet of Champions League titles. For all the honours bestowed upon the 133-time capped Spaniard, the one that escaped him was football's most cherished individual tribute.

For Ronaldo, there is value in individual rewards as well as those for club and country, and the stately bronzed attacker appears proud of his three Ballon d'Or's, which is bested only by Messi's five.

"It's a privilege for me to have won the Ballon d'Or three times with Messi contending for the award."