CR set on team glory

The notion goes that whomever comes out on top - Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi - then the World's best player tag is automatically theirs.

Cristiano is on the throne currently, but he says retaining his crown will not be his motivation in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico crowd on Wednesday. Believe it or not, his aim is shared glory.

“Whoever wins the final will have a better chance [of winning the award]," Ronny said. "But I don’t care about that, what I want is to win the Champions League – that’s it. Some players in my team have played fantastic football this season - they deserve it.”

Ronaldo is aware that the TV cameras and photographers' lenses will focus on him all night, but it's a pressure he's learned to live with. “It’s normal for people to talk about me," he says. "I’m 100 per cent focused on the game. I try to help my team, I will try to score and win the game.

"It's a great stadium. I feel very good to play here. I’ve played here a few times and, in my opinion, I played well. I have to play well now. The pitch, the stadium, the fans… they’re amazing; I look forward to playing here and winning. It’s going to be special.”

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