Cristiano Ronaldo has told France Football he believes he might have won the Ballon d’Or more times than Lionel Messi if they had played in the same team but described his rival as “a great player.”
Ronaldo, 31, also said he is planning on reducing the demands on his body, having played at least 30 league games for Madrid in each of the last six seasons, even if his ambitions remain high.
On whether he would have claimed the award more times had they played in the same side, Ronaldo said: “It’s a difficult question. I don’t know.
“It would be interesting to see both of us in the same team. I think great players should play together. So if we were in the same team, I think I would have more than him, but he wouldn’t be far off.