I Am The Best In History, Full Stop’ – Ronaldo

According to a report by CNN on Tuesday October 12, 2026, Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo has described himself as the greatest footballer in history while discussing his long standing rivalry with Lionel Messi and his ambition to reach 1,000 career goals.

The 41 year old Al Nassr forward said he and Messi shared the Ballon d’Or spotlight for 15 years and maintained a good relationship despite competing for football’s biggest individual honours.

Ronaldo also revealed that he occasionally helped Messi understand English during award ceremonies, translating instructions from presenters and helping him follow media activities.

He recalled how he would explain what presenters were saying and help Messi respond during events. According to Ronaldo, their relationship remained respectful throughout their years of competition.

“ He always treated me well. Of course, he defended his club and I defended mine. He defended his national team and I defended mine,” Ronaldo said.

The Portuguese star described their rivalry as healthy, explaining that their competition pushed both players to improve and score more goals. He compared their relationship to the famous rivalry between Formula One legends Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, a World Cup, 13 league titles and six European Golden Boots. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has claimed five Ballon d’Or awards, eight league titles and four Golden Boots. He also has five Champions League titles, compared with Messi’s four.

Speaking about the debate over football’s greatest player, Ronaldo acknowledged that supporters have different opinions and may prefer Messi, Pelé or Diego Maradona.

However, he insisted that his own achievements deserve recognition, arguing that it would be wrong to describe him as an incomplete player.

Ronaldo believes his longevity, consistency and remarkable goalscoring record strengthen his claim to being the greatest of all time as he continues his pursuit of the historic 1,000 goal milestone.

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