Cristiano Ronaldo’s Shock Statement on Lionel Messi Over Ballon d’Or Revealed

• Cristiano Ronaldo sensationally said he would quit football if Lionel Messi had won the Ballon d’Or in 2019
• The Portugal captain reportedly told L'Equipe journalist Thierry Marchand about his intentions if Messi wins the prize
• Lionel Messi has won seven Ballon d'Ors, two more ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly claimed he would retire from football if rival Lionel Messi won the 2019 Ballon d'Or.

A biography of the Manchester United star was released on Wednesday, 9th November.

Per the author of book, the Portugal captain swore to quit football if Messi was adjudged the best footballer of the year by France Football.

Ronaldo is claimed to have said in 2019, per The Sun:

A list of Champions League winners who also won the Ballon d’Or

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“If Messi wins the Ballon d’Or this year, I’m leaving football.”

"It's easy to stay in your bubble when you're successful. I took a risk coming to Turin. I changed clubs, championships, football culture, I took a risk, and it was that risk that, I'm sure, made me not win the Ballon d'Or in 2018," the former Real Madrid talisman added.

Paris Saint-Germain superstar, Messi, did end up clinching the Ballon d’Or in December 2019, beating off competition from Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, who finished second.

It was Messi's sixth Ballon d'Or award as Ronaldo finished third.

Two years later, the Argentine genius won the Ballon d'Or for the seventh time, but Ronaldo still did not keep to his word to retire.

The ex-Juventus forward was reportedly furious about not winning football's most prestigious individual prize in 2018 - losing the award to former teammate Luka Modric.

Diehard fan to watch Messi

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Earlier, Sports Brief reported that a diehard Argentina fan, Emiliano Matrangolo is risking everything to watch Messi play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is set to kick off on November 20.

The recent Business Administration graduate from Buenos Aires is prepared to spend his life savings to buy tickets, to watch the Argentine national team in Qatar this year.

Matrangolo insists buying a car or house will not give him the sort of joy he will derive from watching Argentina lift another World Cup trophy.