Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to endorse an Instagram post accusing Lionel Messi of 'theft' for winning a 7th Ballon d'Or title
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Barnaby Lane
Dec 1, 2021, 23:13 IST
Ronaldo doesn’t think Lionel Messi should have won the Ballon d’Or.Getty/Marc Atkins; Getty/Franck Fife
Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to endorse an Instagram post saying Lionel Messi winning the Ballon d'Or was "theft."
The post detailed Ronaldo's achievements in 2021. He liked it and commented "facts," underneath.
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Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to endorse an Instagram post that said he had been robbed of this year's Ballon d'Or by Lionel Messi in the star's latest social media controversy over the prestigious soccer trophy.
After the gala, which Ronaldo did not attend, the 36-year-old appeared to make his feelings known on his rival's victory by liking a post on Instagram which detailed why he should have instead won, according to a number of media outlets, including the Daily Mail.
The post, shared by a fan account with the username @cr7.o_lendario and around 330,000 followers, detailed all of Ronaldo's achievements in 2021, and why, the account believed, he should have won the Ballon d'Or. The name of the page roughly translates from Portuguese to English as "CR7 The Legendary."
The post liked by Ronaldo included the words: "Theft. Dirt. Shame. Simply regrettable," with regards to Messi's win, screenshots shared by the Daily Mail showed.
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On top of liking the post, Ronaldo's official account commented on it, writing: "Facts." It is unclear if Ronaldo himself, or a social media manager, posted the comment.
"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," Pascal Ferre, the editor in chief of France Football — the publication behind the Ballon d'Or — said in an interview with The New York Times.
Responding to Ferre's comments, Ronaldo 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.
"The biggest ambition of my career is to win national and international titles for the clubs I represent and for the national team in my country.
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"The biggest ambition of my career is to be a good example for all those who are or want to be professional footballers. The biggest ambition of my career is to leave my name written in golden letters in the history of world football."
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