Incredible behind-the-scenes footage reveals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were NOT together for viral chess photo

LOUIS VUITTON have released incredible behind-the-scenes footage for their incredible internet-breaking ad featuring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The pair were pictured playing chess against one another in the photoshoot, paired with very similar captions.

Louis Vuitton

Lionel Messi featured prominently in the behind-the-scenes footage[/caption]

Louis Vuitton

The footage revealed Messi was not in the same room as his chess opponent[/caption]

Louis Vuitton

On Cristiano Ronaldo’s end he was seen meeting with photographers in preparation for the shoot[/caption]

Louis Vuitton

Both players gave interviews ahead of the World Cup[/caption]

Instagram @cristiano

The image caused a tidal wave on the internet[/caption]

However, it has now been revealed the pair were NOT present in the room together when the photo was taken.

In fact, for the photo they were both asked to pose in their respective positions before it was spliced together for them both to post it.

Both superstars also gave interviews ahead of what is likely to be their fifth and final tournaments.

Argentina captain Messi said: “This will be my fifth World Cup. The most memorable victory was being acclaimed by the Argentinian people. It was a great victory for me.

“I think it’s spectacular that trophies travel in Louis Vuitton. This trophy is so important, it is the greatest award of all in football. It deserves the best of the best.”

Meanwhile, Man Utd rebel Ronaldo added: “This will be my fifth World Cup so I think it is a great achievement.”

The pair have been fighting over the tag of “the greatest of all time” for more than a decade.

The image caused social media to explode as fans lost their minds at seeing Messi and Ronaldo together.

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Both men posted similar captions alongside the photo – which the pair shared on Instagram. And between them they have gained almost 60 million likes.

They read: “Victory is in the Mind. A long-standing tradition handcrafted trunk-building photographed by @louisvuitton.

“For @annieleibovitz Victory is a State of Mind. A long tradition of crafting trunks photographed by @louisvuitton.”

Messi’s Argentina side are on a 36-game unbeaten streak that stretches all the way back to July 2019.

They head into the tournament as one of the favourites, hoping to lift the trophy for the first time since Diego Maradona led them to glory in 1986.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s Portugal are not one of the teams tipped to triumph, but still boast a plethora of talent including Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rafael Leao.

They have not progressed beyond the last 16 of the World Cup since Ronaldo’s first appearance at the tournament back in 2006.