When Cristiano Ronaldo Said he Deserved More Ballon d'Ors Than Lionel Messi

• Cristiano Ronaldo was determined to win more Ballon d'Or awards than Lionel Messi
• Fans, pundits, and fellow footballers are often torn apart on who between the duo is better
• Messi and Ronaldo have dominated the football scene, winning 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them

Al-Nassr maestro Cristiano Ronaldo once expressed his belief that he deserves to win more Ballon d'Or awards than his long-time rival, Lionel Messi.

The two football icons have dominated the sport for years, with fans, pundits, and even fellow players not agreeing on who between the duo is better.

According to Sportbible, Messi and Ronaldo are widely regarded as the football GOATs, thanks to what they have achieved over the years in their respective careers.

To put the pair's dominance into perspective, they have won an impressive 12 Ballon d'Or awards between themselves, with Messi carting home the honour a record seven times.

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While Messi appeared to have cemented his place as the GOAT ahead of Ronaldo after winning the 2022 World Cup, opinion remains divided on who is better.

Ronaldo wanted to win more Ballon d'Ors than Messi

But back in 2019, Ronaldo, who had won the prestigious title five times, voiced his ambition to add to his collection and surpass the Argentine who had also won the prestigious award five times at the time.

Speaking on ITV's Cristiano Ronaldo Meets Piers Morgan, the ex-Juventus superstar said via Skysports:

"I would love it to win more Ballon d'Ors, and I think I deserve it. Messi is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player. He's in the history of football – but I think I have to have six or seven or eight to be above him.

Ronaldo acknowledged that Messi was the most formidable opponent he had faced, and he aspired to be remembered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest footballers in the history of the sport.

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He added: "I'm sure I'm in the history of football for what I have done and what I'm continuing to do, but one of the best players in history.

Ronaldo lauds Messi

Sports Brief also reported that in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo hailed Messi and Zinedine Zidane as two of the greatest he had ever witnessed.

The bombshell sit-down, which contributed to the Portuguese veteran's bitter split from Manchester United, also included a number of fascinating Ronaldo comments.