Cavani: My rivalry with Luis Suarez

The Paris Saint-Germain frontman will hope to lead the line with Liverpool's No.7 in Brazil, and has revealed the pair enjoy a healthy competitiveness as they attempt to outscore one another.

"We played together in South Africa and in the last four years we've matured and improved as a partnership," Cavani told FourFourTwo magazine.

"It's almost like we have our own little rivalry to spur each other on and help our country perform at its best.

"We've both done very good things this season. We've been working hard for a long time to achieve our objectives for Uruguay.

"We hope that can continue this summer because we want to do well for our country, our people, and to keep our position as one of the five highest-ranked teams in the world.

"Luis has been a phenomenon this season."

Suarez and Cavani were born just a few weeks apart in Salto back in 1987, although their paths did not cross as they grew up in the Uruguayan city.

However, their fathers were familiar with each other from local football leagues.

"They actually played football together in Salto's local leagues when they were younger, before me and Luis were born," Cavani explains.

"Luis left for the capital, Montevideo, when he was very small, so our paths didn't cross on the pitch until we were playing in Uruguay's youth teams.

"We're both boys of Salto, though, and we know every nook and cranny of the city. We've grown up with those customs and habits and it's a big part of who we are."

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With the pair now firmly regarded as being two of the most fearsome forwards in world football, how does Cavani explain two Salto boys being among the best strikers on the planet?

"It's just a coincidence, really," he replies. "These things happen only rarely, but that's life.

"Salto isn't a huge city, but neither is it particularly small, so these coincidences can sometimes happen.

"But I agree it's rare for two guys who were born so close together to come through at the same time."