Messi's Teammate Claims He Could Have Won 15 Ballon d'Or Awards if Not for Ronaldo

• Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have endured a longstanding football rivalry
• The pair have dominated for years, with their achievements leaving many divided
• Messi has won three more Ballon d'Or awards than his famed football 'nemesis'

Lionel Messi's Argentina teammate, Lautaro Martinez has stated that the Inter Miami ace could have won the Ballon d'Or 15 times had it not been for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Argentine veteran and the Portuguese superstar are the two most successful footballers of the current generation, having won the accolade 13 times between them.

Messi has won the award on eight occasions, with the latest record-extending triumph coming on Monday night at the gala event in Paris.

According to Sky Sports, the Barcelona legend saw off stiff competition from Manchester City hotshot, Erling Haaland to pick up the accolade.

The 36-year-old was feted with the gong after an impressive year under review that saw him help Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Ballon d’Or: 5 key names in football that have backed Messi to beat Haaland to award

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'Messi could have won 15 Ballon d'Ors'

According to Martinez, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace could have possibly won 15 Ballon d'Or awards in his career were it not for having to share the spotlight.

"[Messi] had to share this era with Cristiano Ronaldo, otherwise he would have won the Ballon d’Or 15 times," the Inter Milan star told ESPN via Goal.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene for years, with the latter winning the prestigious individual gong five times.

The duo's longevity, achievements and dominance have often seen fans, pundits, and even footballers divided on who between the two is the greatest of all time.

Neymar celebrates Messi after Ballon win

Earlier, Sports Brief reported on Neymar Jr celebrating his friend Messi after the Argentine won an eighth Ballon d’Or award.

The Brazilian suffered a serious injury in the October international break, which ruled him out of action for at least six months.

However, this did not stop the former PSG man from taking to social media to share a message with his former teammate.