'Messi will torture you before he kills you': Rooney risks wrath of friend Ronaldo as he picks Messi as world's best

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has revealed why he would pick Lionel Messi over his close friend and former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and claims that the Barcelona man is "having more fun" on the pitch.

During their time together at Old Trafford, Rooney and Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and claimed a memorable Champions League final win over Chelsea, but this hasn't stopped the ex-England captain from picking Messi over his pal.

Writing in his Sunday Times column, Rooney revealed: "Despite my friendship with Cristiano, I'd go for Messi. It's for the same reason I loved watching Xavi and Scholes: it's the different things in Messi's game.

"I've talked about composure, and I can't remember seeing Messi score when he has hit the ball as hard as he could. He just rolls them in, makes it so easy.

"Ronaldo is ruthless in the box, a killer. But Messi will torture you before he kills you. With Messi, you just get the impression he is having more fun.

"Those two have completely changed the game in terms of goalscoring numbers, and I don't think they'll ever be matched."

Messi and Ronaldo were locked in a bitter battle for the world's best player for over a decade, with the pair winning 11 Balon d'Or titles between them since 2009 — putting them at first and second on the most wins list.

The ageing pair will get another chance to add more titles to their trophy cabinet later this year. Still, they will face stiff competition from the likes of Man City's Kevin de Bruyne and Bayern's Robert Lewandowski who have both been excellent this season.