At the end we will see who is best – Ronaldo sidesteps Messi rivalry

Cristiano Ronaldo’s blockbusting move to Juventus was not enough to keep Lionel Messi off the agenda on his first day with his new employers.

Ronaldo was greeted by a throng of buoyant Juve supporters on Monday before completing his medical and staging an unveiling news conference.

The 33-year-old is locked on five Ballons d’Or apiece with Barcelona superstar Messi, with their tussles on either side of El Clasico’s divide having defined a footballing generation.

Asked about how facing up to the goalscoring exploits of Serie A rivals such as Edin Dzeko might compare, Ronaldo acknowledged his and Messi’s link that will endure despite leaving Real Madrid.

“I don’t see players as rivals. That’s not as I live,” he said.

“Of course, we want to win. We’re going to try and win all the matches. That’s the big challenge, of course – to be the best and play as well as possible. That’s a very interesting challenge in my opinion.

“Everyone speaks about my rivalry with Messi but of course we are going to play for our own matches. Everybody is fighting for their own club and I will be doing the same

“At the end of the story we will see who is the best.”

.@Cristiano salutes the fans at his new training ground #CR7DAY #CR7JUVE pic.twitter.com/c9GjXXzQBu

— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 16, 2018

Messi and Ronaldo both bowed out of the World Cup and the last-16 stage after Argentina and Portugal were beaten by eventual winners France and Uruguay respectively.

Nevertheless, the Euro 2016 winner insists he has no intention of turning his back on Fernando Santos and his international colleagues.

“Of course I am going to work for my country and with my country,” he explained.

“I have never turned my back on them. If I can play with them again of course I will.”