Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo take part in photoshoot together

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken part in a photoshoot together as part of a Louis Vuitton campaign.

While the two players widely considered to be the two greatest footballers ever have played against one another a number of times in their career, they've rarely been seen together off the pitch.

Asides from when both have been present at awards ceremonies, they've seldom been pictured together when not playing, but that's now changed.

As part of an advertising campaign by Louis Vuitton, the two greats took part in a photoshoot together.

The players are pictured sitting opposite one another in deep concentration as they play out a game of chess.

Both of them shared the image on their social media channels accompanied by the same caption.

"Victory is a State of Mind. A long tradition of crafting trunks," their posts read.

Ronaldo has been discussing his relationship with Messi recently, praising the PSG player in an interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV.

“He is an amazing player. Magic. Top," he told Morgan on Talk TV.

"As a person, we share the stage for 16 years. Imagine 16 years. So, I have a great relationship with him.

"I am not a friend of him, in the sense that someone who always spends at my house or talking on the phone. But he is like a teammate – a guy I really respect. I like the way he speaks about me."

Both will be looking to cement their claims to being football's GOAT in Qatar, with neither yet to win the World Cup and this likely to be their last chance to do so.