Carlos Tevez has again denied rumours of a fall-out with fellow Argentina star Lionel Messi and said: "He who doesn't love Messi knows nothing about football or about life."
There have been persistent rumours in Argentina that the pair have a poor relationship, and it was claimed that their issues were the cause of Tevez's absence from the national team during Alejandro Sabella's reign.
Juventus striker Tevez, who has made his return to international action since former Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino took charge last year, has regularly denied that there is an issue with Messi.
Tevez, who is part of Argentina's Copa America squad, has now told Clarin that he and Messi "laughed together about everything that has been said."
The pair were seen talking with their mouths covered by their hands before the Champions League final, but Messi had already dismissed any suggestion that anything significant was said.
Tevez backed Messi's account and added: "A rivalry is being created where there isn't one, and Argentine football ends up damaged, but that is what sells.
"[A story saying] 'Tevez friend of Messi' doesn't sell; 'Messi an enemy of Tevez,' yes. That is what they do -- they speak more of a non-friendship than the actual friendship the two of us have, no?"
He added: "With Messi we laughed at everything that was said. We know that with a look or hug we have already said thousands of things to each other. It's not necessary to say anything.
"We naturally speak to each other, like before the Champions League final. We also met up with each other after the World Cup -- we greeted each other with a hug and we stayed for two hours talking about the world of football.
"I know him very well and he knows me since the beginning. I know how he goes about things and he knows I how do things. That makes us trust each other. Everything that was said was all media hype. You can see that it sells, but the one hurt by it is the national team."
Tevez also said there was no grudge with Sabella, who left his position after losing the 2014 World Cup final, over his absence from the national side.
"No, no," the Juve forward said. "We must congratulate him because he made a decision and saw it through. Many people criticised him and some did not. The one who suffered was me, but he did what he thought was right and we must congratulate him."
Speaking to the Copa America's official website, meanwhile, Tevez described Messi as "the best in the world."
Asked whether he received the appreciation he deserved, he replied: "He who doesn't love Messi knows nothing about football or about life. More than that, I don't know what's going on in their heads."
Messi endured a disappointing 2013-14 season but heads into the Copa America on the back of an exceptional campaign with Barcelona, having scored 58 goals as the club won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
That improvement appears to have been partly down to a change in diet, and Tevez said: "Messi is still the same. What has changed is that he has three or four kilos less than before.
"That means he has more desire, it changes your state of mind, it changes everything. I believe he is in his best moment."