'Not That Lionel Messi Didn’t Deserve It..': Cristiano Ronaldo Says Ballon d'Or, FIFA Best Awards Losing Credibility

Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to take an indirect dig at Lionel Messi who won both Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Awards in the 2022-23 season.

Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) and Lionel Messi (right). (Files)

Source : Getty

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo questioned the credibility of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA The Best Awards in a recent media statement. Among the most profilic goal-scorers of all time, Ronaldo made this statement while interacting with one of Portugal's sports newspapers. The 38-year-old ageing superstar stated that awards are losing credibility. His statement comes after his long-time rival Lionel Messi won these awards in the 2022-23 season on the back of him leading Argentina to a FIFA World Cup triumph in Qatar.

While Messi went on to win both the awards, there was a section of fans and pundits alike who reckoned that the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland perhaps deserved the award more than Messi in the men's category in 2023. Ronaldo, however, won multiple awards at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards including the best goal scorer of the year after which he made this comment which seemed an indirect dig at Messi.

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It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it: Ronaldo

Even though Ronaldo did not mention any particular names, clarifying that he does not imply that Messi or the likes of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe did not deserve the awards but simply that overall the awards are loosing their reliability.

"I think that, in a way these awards are losing credibility. We have to analyse the entire season. It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappe, I simply no longer believe in these awards and it’s not because I won at the globe soccer but these are facts, the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. They can’t take this trophy away from me because it’s a reality, So it makes me even happier, because the numbers are facts," the Portugal and Al-Nassr star told Record.pt.

Ronaldo's side are currently second on the points table in the Saudi Pro League. While Al-Hilal are currently sitting atop the tally with 53 points from 19 matches, Ronaldo's Al-Nassr trails them with 46 points from 19 matches. Ronaldo continues to be the highest goal-scoerer in the league with 20 goals from 18 matches. Al-Hilal's Aleksandar Mitrovic is a close second with 17 goals, having played a game fewer than Ronaldo.