"It's unacceptable" - When Cristiano Ronaldo slammed Ballon d'Or chief for 'lies' involving Lionel Messi claims
Lionel Messi is on course to extend his Ballon d'Or lead over his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo today (October 30). The Argentine is expected to claim the accolade for the eighth time in his career when the ceremony kicks off in Paris in a few hours' time, further thumping his Portuguese counterpart's record of five wins.
Ahead of the ceremony, memories of when the Al Nassr superstar slammed Ballon d'Or chief Pascal Ferre over his comment about the duo two years ago have resurfaced on the internet.
The year was 2021 and Lionel Messi was nearing his seventh Ballon d'Or triumph after winning his first-ever trophy for Argentina - the 2021 Copa America tournament which was hosted in Brazil.
Prior to the award ceremony, Pascal Ferre, the editor-in-chief of France Football, the magazine that gives out the Ballon d'Or, claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's only ambition was to have more Ballons d'Or than Messi.
"Ronaldo has only one ambition, and that is to retire with more Ballons d’Or than Messi, and I know that because he has told me," he said during an interview with the New York Times.
This comment didn't sit well with the Portuguese icon, who hit back in a social media post shortly after it made the rounds. Cristiano Ronaldo denied telling Ferre such a thing and accused the Frenchman of using his name to promote himself and his publication.
"Today's outcome explains why Pascal Ferre's statements last week, when he stated that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Golden Balls than Lionel Messi," he wrote on Instagram.
"Pascal Ferre lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for. It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d'Or."
Cristiano Ronaldo has fallen off Lionel Messi in Ballon d'Or dominance tussle
While the Argentine is set to record his eighth Ballon d'Or triumph today, his eternal rival is experiencing a different fate. The Portuguese isn't even in the race for the accolade after failing to make it into the 30-man shortlist for the first time since 2003.
More interestingly, Cristiano Ronaldo has now gone six years without winning the award, with his last win coming in 2017. Since then, Lionel Messi has claimed the prize on two occasions (2019, 2021) and is on course to make it three today.
It'd be interesting to see if either of the two icons will be able to win the prize again after this year as they now represent clubs outside Europe.