After watching archrival Cristiano Ronaldo beat him in voting for the Ballon d'Or in Zurich on Monday, Lionel Messi reignited speculation over his own future by saying: "I don't know where I'll be next year."

The Barcelona and Argentina superstar appeared to backtrack on his own comments made 24 hours earlier that rumors he could leave Camp Nou for Chelsea or Manchester City were "all lies."

"I always said that I would finish my career at Barcelona and then at (his home town club in Argentina) Newell's," Messi told reporters after Real Madrid's Ronaldo lifted the world player of the year title for the second year in succession at a glittering FIFA awards ceremony.

"But I don't know where I'll be next year," added Messi.

"As Cristiano said recently, football has many twists and anything can happen."

After a superb performance in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Spanish champions Atletico Madrid on Sunday, Messi angrily dismissed talk that he wanted to leave after clashing with Barca manager Luis Enrique and the club's board.

"I have never demanded anything to ensure that I stay because I never had any intention of leaving," he told Barca TV after the match.

Messi's relationship with Enrique came under increased scrutiny after the forward was benched for the 1-0 loss at Real Sociedad a week earlier.