For years Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos were sworn enemies when the pair faced off against each other for La Liga rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively Sergio Ramos has shown where his loyalties lie backing Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or this season.

For years Argentine ace Messi was Ramos’ sworn enemy when the pair faced off against each other for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

But this summer Messi left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, with Ramos following suit. The pair are now teammates, and despite years of rivalry, Ramos is backing Messi to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and co. to one of football’s most prestigious prizes.

Discussing Messi, Ramos told ESPN: “He’s in good shape, and I think he’s the kind of player who really makes a difference. Join the debate! Will Lionel Messi win the Ballon d’Or? Let us know your thoughts here. “He’s a unique player and it’s a privilege to have him in the team.

“I think that bit by bit, each of us is going to bring our own quality to make Paris Saint-Germain even greater and achieve the things we want to achieve.” When asked if he wants Messi to win the Ballon d’Or, he added: “Yes, of course, I’m going to defend the guys in my team.”

Ramos made his Paris Saint-Germain debut on Sunday in a 3-1 win over 10-man Saint-Etienne. After the match, Pochettino suggested he could play around with his PSG squad and may look to play Ramos in a back three going forward.

“It’s always important to be flexible,” Pochettino said. “There are a lot of games to play against different teams that play different systems. Having multiple options… yeah it’s a possibility to think about it and maybe use it in some games.”