Brazil left-back Marcelo has retracted his previous comments in which he labelled Lionel Messi the best player on the planet. The Real Madrid defender made the statement in the build-up to Brazil's upcoming friendly against Argentina, rating the Messi higher than his own club team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Marcelo insists he was misquoted by the press, saying that he was simply referring to the fact that Messi is the current holder of the Ballon d'Or award. "They misinterpreted what I said," Marcelo said, according to AS. "Messi was the last one to receive the award, but for me, Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt the best. "The press will not ruin our friendship," he concluded.