described Cristiano Ronaldo as a "great player" but
insisted Lionel Messi is the best in the world and
of all time.
Ronaldo collected his fourth Ballon d'Or on
Monday, beating Barcelona rival and five-time
winner Messi to the France Football prize.
The award capped a fine season for Ronaldo, who
became Madrid's record goalscorer last October
before going on to win the Champions League, Euro
2016 and the UEFA Super Cup.
Bartomeu, though, reiterated Messi's standing in
the game following Barca's trip to Qatar, where
they beat Saudi champions Al Ahli 5-3 in a friendly
midweek.
"The world number one is Leo Messi. He has been,
it is and will remain so, but Cristiano is a great
player," Bartomeu said in quotes attributed to BeIN
Sports in Qatar.
"Messi is the best in the world and of all time. At
29 is at a high level and better every day."
Bartomeu also reassured fans that Barca want
Messi to retire at Camp Nou.
Messi's current deal expires in June 2018 and the
Argentina captain is yet to pen a contract amid
conflicting reports over the progress of the
negotiations.
"He has a contract and there is time to talk about
his contract," he added. "We want to finish his
career at Barcelona."
Messi tops the LaLiga goalscoring charts with 11,
one more than Ronaldo.
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