"He has not won a single Ballon d'Or" - When Cristiano Ronaldo slammed Barcelona legend for saying he didn't deserve award in 2016
Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo had a go at his Barcelona counterpart Xavi Hernandez for saying that the Portuguese's 2016 Ballon d'Or win was undeserved.
Ronaldo, 39, won his fourth Ballon d'Or award in 2016 after a stellar season with Los Blancos, playing a key role in their UEFA Champions League triumph. registering 16 goals and four assists in 12 games.
He also scored 35 times in the league as Zinedine Zidane's side finished behind Barca before winning Euro 2016 with Portugal, his first trophy in international football.
However, Xavi told TV3 (via beIN SPORTS) in December 2016 that his then teammate Lionel Messi was more deserving of the Ballon d'Or that year because of his superior quality.
"They counted the major trophies, but there are other years in which they didn't use that to award the best player in the world. Leo Messi is the best despite the trophies that someone else might have won."
That drew an angry response from Ronaldo, who took a dig at Xavi for never winning the Ballon d'Or.
"Everyone knows that anyone who wants to make the front pages has to talk about me. Xavi has not won a single Ballon d'Or. I have won three."
Ronaldo would go on to win another Ballon d'Or in 2017 before leaving Real Madrid the next summer. He currently plays for Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared this season?
Cristiano Ronaldo has made a good start to the 2024-25 season, his second full campaign with Al-Nassr, where he arrived on a free transfer in December 2022 after more than two decades in European football with some of the top clubs.
Coming off a spectacular 44-goal 2023-24 season, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has seemingly continued from where he had left off. In nine games across competitions this campaign, Ronaldo has bagged eight goals and three assists, scoring in all but one outing.
The Portugal captain - currently on international duty - is coming off a goal and an assist in his club's 3-0 home win over Al-Orobah in the Saudi Pro League, where Stefano Pioli's side are four points off leaders Al-Hilal (18) after six games.
Ronaldo has scored five times and provided two assists in six games in the league to go with his two strikes in the Saudi Super Cup - where Al-Alami lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in the final - and once in the AFC Champions League Elite.