I think it's the greatest rivalry in any sport, even if Messi is the clear winner.
You have:
1 x WC, 1 x Copa America, 4 x CL, 10 x LL, 7 Ballon D'Or, 6 European Golden shoe
vs.
1 x Euro Cup, 5 x CL, 7 leagues, 5 Ballon D'Or, 4 European Golden Shoe
Rafa - Djokovic is probably the only one that comes close
This rivalry had everything man, even from a marketing perspective.
One was European and the other was from SA
One was a tall, dark skinned (brown? not sure best word is) and the other was a white short kid.
One had insane physical profile who overpowers his opponents and the other was a skillful genius who makes impossible things looks simple.
One was a family oriented introvert, and the other was an egomaniacs womanizer
One was homegrown, semi-one club man, the other is a guy who makes moves for sake of his career.
One is Barca legend, the other is RM legend.
They were just the polar opposite, which added a lot to that rivalry
The only thing they shared is their competitiveness, worth ethic and durabilty.
They set themselves apart from every one of their generation, which was actually a generation full of legends that had to be in their shadows.
Rafa - Djokovic is probably the only one that comes close
I truly hate Tennis, so I am biased.
But football is just a different level of popularity worldwide AFAIK, that alone set such rivalry apart
