Ronaldo proud to compete with Messi

Making a mark in football was Cristiano Ronaldo's long-term ambition, and the Real Madrid star knows he has emphatically achieved that goal.

Published : Dec 16, 2017 15:17 IST

Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon d'Or, an award which he has now won five times (same as Lionel Messi).
Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon d'Or, an award which he has now won five times (same as Lionel Messi).
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Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon d'Or, an award which he has now won five times (same as Lionel Messi).

Cristiano Ronaldo feels he has succeeded in making his mark in football and is honoured to compete with the likes of Lionel Messi for the sport's biggest individual prizes.

Ronaldo earned The Best FIFA Men's Player award for the second time in October, and retained the prestigious Ballon d'Or this month to join Messi on five titles.

Read: Ronaldo? I was better, says Gremio coach Renato

Speaking to the FIFA website, the Real Madrid star expressed his satisfaction at spending so long as one of the game's top talents.  

"It's priceless for me to be here once more, because I'm doing things right in my club and my team," he said.

"I've always wanted to make my mark in the world of football, and I've done it, I've written a chapter in the history of football [by] winning so many titles, being a player, like Messi, a candidate to win individual prizes.

"It's a great honour, an incredible moment in my career. It motivates me to continue playing football. I stay motivated because I like what I do, I love playing football and I try to enjoy it, but what I try the most is to make people and my team-mates enjoy it.

"I will continue while I have this passion for playing football, which is what I like the most."

Ronaldo has won the Premier League three times, La Liga twice and the Champions League on four occasions. But the title that brought the 32-year-old the most joy was lifting last year's European championship with his country Portugal.

"Winning the Euro was the most [special], it's something we wanted for years, the first title of the Portuguese national team, and that's why it was incredible," he said.

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