Football's finest Lionel Messi and one of the most decorated basketballers of all time Kobe Bryant can't exactly have a fair contest on their respective sporting fields, but they've found another way to one-up each other. 

The pair have gone head-to-head in a selfie shootout for a new Turkish Airlines commercial showing off the locations the company flies to.

Four-time world footballer of the year Messi and Bryant, who's started the NBA All-Star game a record 15 consecutive times, were stars of a previous ad for the airline which became a viral hit with more than 100 million views in the past year.

Photo bombed: Kobe Bryant livens up Lionel Messi's selfie in front of the Blue Mosque

Gauntlet: In the ad, Messi begins the challenge in front of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow's Red Square

Selfie shootout: And so it begins as Messi messages his first location to the NBA superstar

Comeback: Bryant hits Messi back from the Great Wall of China

Going with the campaign's “widen your world” slogan, Messi lays down the gauntlet with shots in front of Moscow's St Basil's Cathedral and with a cute monkey in Thailand, but Bryant answers with the Great Wall of China and getting 'licked' by a lion.

When Messi snorkels with little fish in the Maldives, Bryant goes to South Africa to be stalked by a great white shark. You get the picture.

Messi looks at home suited up in Hollywood before posing in front of Istanbul's famous Blue Mosque - only for the shot to be bombed by Bryant.

In the previous ad, Bryant and Messi played 'anything you can do I can do better' to be the coolest in front of a kid on a flight, only to be beaten by the flight attendant who offered an ice-cream.

Monkey business: Messi poses with a cute little friend on his shoulder

Lion's share: Bryant braves a more extreme form of wildlife

Something fishy: The Barcelona ace gives the thumbs up to snorkelling in the Maldives

Shark attack: Kobe heads to Cape Town to dive with a more dangerous creature

Both superstars are on the road to recovering from injuries.

Barcelona's Messi has been recovering from a thigh strain back home in Argentina and is expected to be ready for action in January.

Lakers star Bryant is getting over an Achilles problem, and has been tipped to make his NBA season debut at Sacramento on Friday.

Home base: Messi jogs during a training session in Buenos Aires where he's recovering at Argentina's HQ

Back in action: Bryant is back training and could make his season debut on Friday