Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola believes football is witnessing an era of “two phenomena” with the class of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo and Messi have milked the limelight for over a decade and they continue to go strong despite entering their thirties.

The duo have won every Ballon d’Or award since Kaka back in 2007 and are now tied on five each.

Guardiola knows what Messi is like first hand from his time at Barcelona and believes he and Ronaldo are a level above every other player in world football.

“Leo is a competitive, fierce animal,” he told reporters at Festival dello Sport.

“That helps others to be competitive. He hates to lose and plays like when he was a kid. In big matches, if the team helps him, he makes the difference.

“Together with Cristiano [Ronaldo] we have lived and are living an era of two phenomena.

“They have spent 10 years scoring 50 goals a season. It’s incredible. It’s not one year, it’s year after year, more and more.”

Luka Modric is the frontrunner to win the Ballon d’Or this year as the Croatian captain recently picked up the FIFA award for Best Men’s player.