Gareth Bale: 'Cristiano Ronaldo is world's best footballer'

Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale has hailed Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo as the best footballer in the world.

The Portugual international scored a hat-trick in the defending Spanish champions' 4-0 victory over Celta Vigo in the second leg of their Copa del Rey fifth-round tie on Wednesday.

"Another hat-trick for Ronaldo! I think he's the best all-round player in the world right now #ballondor2013 :p," Bale wrote on his official Twitter page.

The victory at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Madrid progress to the quarter-finals of the competition 5-2 on aggregate.