Lionel Messi says Argentina's friendly against Portugal in Manchester on Tuesday is "just one more game" to him, despite the fixture against Cristiano Ronaldo's side being billed as a battle between the world's two best players.
The individual clash between the Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars has dominated the buildup to the game, with Messi's colleague for club and country Javier Mascherano going on record to say that personal rivalry between the pair had driven each to greater heights over recent seasons.
But Messi said in an interview in Tuesday's Ole that he was not thinking about any one-on-one duel with Ronaldo, instead saying that the game was more important as another chance for the national team to take on board fresh ideas being introduced by new coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino.
"If there were points to play for in today's friendly, it would be important," Messi said. "In that sense it is not relevant. But it does matter for the national team to keep looking for the things which Tata wants, to keep growing as a team, to adapt to the new ideas of the coach.
"It is important for that, but on the side of Cristiano and me, there is nothing. Seriously, this is just one more game."
Messi also spoke about fellow forward Carlos Tevez having been recalled to the national set-up by Martino, after predecessor Alejandro Sabella had reportedly left the Juventus player out of previous squads due to personal differences between him and the team's talisman and captain.
"It does not take any pressure off me that Carlos Tevez is back again with the national team," he said. "It was always the same. I had games with him in another era, nothing changes... Carlitos' arrival is important for the class of player that he is. On a personal level nothing changes."
Messi missed Argentina's first friendly post the summer's World Cup with a minor fitness issue, leading to some renewed questioning of his commitment to his national team -- something the 27-year-old has again rejected.
"The truth is that I never had any doubts," he said. "The national team played a great World Cup, and it seemed the only one who did not perform was me. When everything cools down, and you look at it calmly, a new cycle has started, and all that is left behind."
The Rosario-born player did however admit that he still had regrets over how his tournament went last summer. After playing well and scoring vital goals through the early games, Messi was not able to deliver as he had wanted in either Argentina's semifinal progress past the Netherlands on penalties and then extra-time defeat to winners Germany in the decider.
"I would have liked to play better in the semi-final and the final," he added. "But the game went as they did. But if I had scored in the final, it would have been said that my World Cup was spectacular. That I shone in all the games. I said before, they were not my best two games, but neither do I think they were bad."