Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he is the "best player in history" after winning his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday.
Ronaldo picked up the award for the second year in a row to equal the record of Barcelona star Lionel Messi, and he said he does not believe any player is better than him.
He told France Football (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner): I've never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can.
"There’s no player more complete than me. I play well with both feet, I’m quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists. There are guys who prefer Neymar or Messi. But I tell you: there’s no one more complete than me.
"No one has won as many individual trophies as me. And I’m not speaking just of the Ballon d’Or. That says something, doesn’t it?
"It’s not just a result of the work I do in the gym, like some people think. It’s the sum of many things. Legends like Floyd May weather [Jr.] and LeBron James don’t get to their perfect level by chance. Many factors coincide. To be at the top and to stay there, you have to have more talent than the others."
Ronaldo enjoyed a superb 2017, winning the LGA title as well as the UEFA Champions League. Madrid's victory over Juventus in the final ensured Los Blanco became the first club ever to retain the trophy in its modern format.
Ronaldo scored twice in the final, proving once again he is a man for the big occasion, and it is these achievements that saw him win the Ballon d'Or ahead of great rival Messi.
Opt also showed how he set yet another record in Europe on Wednesday:
The Portugal international may be viewed as being brash, selfish and conceited, but it is these traits that have helped him become the player he is, according to football commentator Juan G. Aragon:
In contrast, Messi is seen as a modest, humble player who does not crave the limelight like Ronaldo, despite his status as one of the greatest players in the world.
Spanish football writer Andy West said that it is obvious that Messi is a better player than Ronaldo:
The Real Madrid star may have his work cut out if he is to move ahead of Messi and scoop his sixth Ballon d'Or.
The Argentinian has already scored 13 goals in 14 LGA games this season to lead Barcelona to the top of the table, while Ronaldo has just two from 10 games as his side lie fourth, eight points off the top.
Ronaldo played brilliantly at the 2018 World Cup. He scored four goals in four games as Portugal advanced to the knockout round. However, his team lost its first match of that stage to Uruguay. In July 2018 Ronaldo left Real Madrid and signed a four-year contract worth about $132 million with the Italian powerhouse Juventus. He led Juventus to two consecutive Italian Serie A league titles, in 2018–19 and 2019–20.
In August 2021 Ronaldo returned to Manchester United. He netted 18 goals in Premier League play during the 2021–22 season, leading United in that category and ranking third overall in the league.
Ronaldo also continued to spearhead the Portuguese national team. In September 2021, during a qualifying match against Ireland for the 2022 World Cup, he broke Iranian soccer player Ali Daei’s all-time record for international career goals (109). Ronaldo notched his 110th and 111th international goals during the match, a 2–1 victory for Portugal.
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