Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the FIFA Best Awards and Ballon d'Or is 'losing credibility', in a clear sign he's unhappy with Lionel Messi winning both prizes.
Messi won the Ballon d'Or at the tail end of last year after propelling Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
And he was then named as FIFA's best player of 2023, beating Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe to the prize.
Ronaldo wasn't shortlisted for either award, despite plundering home 54 goals for club and country last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo has taken aim at Lionel Messi with football icon clearly frustrated
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No other player managed more.
And Ronaldo has now suggested he's bitter by saying some of football's biggest awards are 'losing credibility'.
“Ballon d’Or and The Best are losing credibility," he told Portuguese newspaper Record.
He continued: “It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappe… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive.
"You have to consider the entire season."
Ronaldo was written off when he left Manchester United under a cloud 14 months ago.
The 38-year-old burned his bridges at Old Trafford by publicly condemning manager Erik ten Hag.
Ronaldo also said United's controversial owners, the Glazers, don't care about football.
Yet he feels he's silenced any critics since moving to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr due to his exploits in front of goal.
Discussing his successful stint in Saudi so far, he added: "I'm not surprised by my level as I know that I still have a lot of possibilities to offer.
"I know that I can provide a lot of goals for Al Nassr and the national team, so it was incredible on a personal level to score 54 goals.
"If you go back and see what happened at Manchester United and the national team, people actually considered me lost, but the truth is that I focused and had a great period of preparation for the new season with Al Nassr, me and the technical staff led by Castro.
"I think they were important in motivating me to have a great season, and it's clear that I was surprised in that aspect, but it didn't surprise me in winning.
"I know that I still have a lot of possibilities to offer, and I know that I can provide a lot of goals for Al Nassr and the national team, so it was incredible on a personal level.
"As you said, well, the 54 goals I scored, there may be those who say it's easier because I'm in Saudi Arabia.
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Cristiano Ronaldo says Ballon d'Or is 'losing credibility' after Lionel Messi won the award last year
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"But football professionals know that it is difficult to score goals, whether in Saudi Arabia or in Italy, Spain or Portugal.
"A goal is a goal. In a way, I feel even more proud to have beaten Haaland, Mbappe and Kane."
Ronaldo's mother would love to see the football icon return home to Sporting Lisbon one day.
But Ronaldo has suggested that won't ever happen because he loves playing for Al-Nassr.
"It’s not worth creating expectations, because I have already said that I want to stay in Al Nassr this year and next year," he said.
Cristiano Ronaldo has no plans to return to Portugal with the football legend still going strong
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"I feel happy in Saudi Arabia. They treat me well.
"The tournament has huge potential and they are continuing to grow, contrary to what many people think.
“Returning to play in the Portuguese league is meaningless. I will turn 39 in a few days, and I will play this remaining season and another year at Al Nassr, which is what I want the most.
"And when I’m 40, as my friend Jose Semedo jokingly says, let’s see what happens.
“If I play until the age of 40, it would be a fantastic goal at this level. After that, if everything is fine, 41, 42… we don’t know. But the possibility of playing in Portugal is out of the question.”
