When asked who was the better player between Messi and him

"I think we push each other sometimes in the competition, this is why the competition is so high. This is why Madrid and Barcelona are the best teams in the world because everyone pushes each other, not just me and Messi but other players."

When asked who was the better player between Messi and him, Ronaldo laughed and gave his honest assessment. Both are great but he stands above the diminutive Barcelona hero.

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"At the moment ... I think it is me," he said with a chuckle. "Sometimes [the comparisons with Messi] makes me tired ... for him too because they compare us together all the time.

But Ronaldo gave a rare glimpse of his softer side, which evoked feelings of sympathy. His answers to questions in a recent interview with CNN contradict what many think about him.

Ronaldo began the interview by saying the best moment of a season which saw him score 60 goals was when Real Madrid became La Liga champions. For him to cite a team triumph as the pinnacle of the last 10 months was surprising to his critics. They must have been taken further aback when he expressed his admiration for Barcelona -- Real Madrid's bitter and eternal rival -- and its roster of stars.

He wasn't saying it to score points with fans, or to win sympathy. He left that for the end of the interview when he said the spot-kick he missed in the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League was his low point. But he balanced it out by reminding fans that his two goals got Real Madrid to that point.

Is Cristiano Ronaldo simply misunderstood? The Real Madrid superstar is often depicted as brash, petulant and obscenely talented. Many prefer the humbler stylings of Lionel Messi to Ronaldo's boastful ways.

See the full Ronaldo interview in the video below.

But Ronaldo's fake-out could only last for a little while, and he soon became the "Ronnie" we know and love. He said Real Madrid was a better team than Barcelona without a shred of hesitation. Its record-breaking run to the league title gives plenty of weight to his argument.

So there you have it. Two sides of Ronaldo exist in perfect harmony.

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