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What's the story?
French outlet France Football has released the front cover of its new edition featuring a sketched image of longstanding rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi kissing.
In case you didn't know...
The five-time Ballon d'Or winners have constantly been compared to one another in a never-ending 'greatest of all time' debate among fans and pundits. The talismanic pair have taken the game to unprecedented heights over the years while winning several team and individual prizes.
This season, both players are likely to win a domestic title in Italy and Spain respectively. While Ronaldo boasts of 19 Serie A goals so far, Messi has 33 La Liga goals to his name.
Their top priority, however, appears to be the Champions League, in which their sides are currently competing in. Juventus are scheduled to face Ajax in the second leg of their European quarter-final fixture while Barcelona will lock horns with Manchester United.
The heart of the matter
France Football published the provocative sketch of the two players kissing alongside a poll for readers to vote who their favourite between the two is. A comparative article of the pair is also featured in the edition.
The cover design belongs to an urban artist Tvboy, who painted it in Barcelona two years ago. The piece is called 'Love is Blind'.
The sketch has shocked a number of fans with some accusing the outlet of disrespecting the players and their families.
What's next?
Both Juventus and Barcelona sit at the top of their respective leagues but currently have their focus on the Champions League, where they are set to go head-to-head with Ajax and Manchester United in highly-anticipated quarter-final clashes tonight.
Both teams have first-leg advantages in the fixture and will hope to secure a semi-final spot for themselves in their race for the European trophy.
