The latest variation of the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi rivalry has dropped successful the oh-so-modern signifier of a societal media dummy spit.
Argentina superstar Messi this week won a record-extending seventh Ballon d'Or grant recognising the champion antheral footballer connected the planet.
Portugal ace Ronaldo is 2nd connected the all-time database with five, and finished sixth successful this year's voting.
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At 36 years old, the prospects of the Manchester United striker present overtaking Messi's haul look adjacent to nil.
Ronaldo did not fuss to be the glitzy ceremonial successful Paris and it was the archetypal clip since 2010 helium hasn't finished successful the apical three.
And it appears the concern stings, with Ronaldo 'liking' and commenting connected a lengthy Instagram station from an relationship named 'cr7.the_legendary' that passionately argued his awards lawsuit implicit Messi's.
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The Instagram caption, written successful Portuguese translates: "43 goals successful the year, six goals successful 5 games successful this Champions League, each decisive and a feline who, careless of age, continues to enactment miracles and is the feline who astir impresses the satellite astir often.
"They inactive enactment the feline successful sixth… Do you truly deliberation that 5 guys did much than him successful the year? Never.
"He could combat for this grant calmly and the combat would beryllium bully with Lewandowski, who successful idiosyncratic numbers was unthinkable and Bayern had a amended play than Juventus and has been having a calmer play than United. But astatine the nationalist enactment level for example, Cristiano was overmuch better.
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"And who does the prize spell to? For Messi, who lone won the Copa del Rey with Barcelona, he hasn't scored a extremity against Real Madrid since erstwhile Cristiano near [in 2018], disappeared successful the large games of the season.
"He won the Copa America that was expected to beryllium each 4 years and they present bash practically each year. He didn't people successful the last oregon successful the semi-final. And he's been having a anemic play with Paris Saint-Germain individually.
"For Cristiano to triumph this prize helium has to beryllium 300 per cent unquestionable. It's nary usage scoring the astir beauteous bicycle footwear of the year, being champion of everything by club, apical scorer of everything and scoring a hat-trick successful the World Cup, they inactive supply a mode to instrumentality his prize.
Ronaldo heroics prevention United blushes
"With Messi, it's the different mode around. He tin bash a low-key season, mode below, they'll ever find a mode to favour him and springiness him the prize.
"Theft. Dirt. Shame. Simply regrettable.
"Who saw, saw. Anyone who is astute capable knows who the existent deserving ones are.
"Receiving awards without earning it is mendacious happiness, without pride.
"Regardless of these awards, the CR7 volition ever beryllium the champion successful history!"
Not lone did Ronaldo 'like' the station but helium has besides wrote 'factos', which translates arsenic 'facts' arsenic good arsenic the thumbs up and eyes emoji.
Ronaldo besides took to societal media earlier the ceremonial to slam Pascal Ferré, the exertion of France Football, who organises the awards.
Ferré told the New York Times that Ronaldo was driven lone by a tendency to triumph the grant much times than Messi.
"Ronaldo has lone 1 ambition, and that is to discontinue with much Ballons d'Or than Messi, and I cognize that due to the fact that helium has told me," Ferré said.
That drew an aggravated effect from Ronaldo, successful an Instagram station translated into English.
"Today's result explains wherefore Pascal Ferré's statements past week, erstwhile helium said that I confided successful him that my lone ambition was to decorativeness my vocation with much Golden Balls than Lionel Messi," Ronaldo wrote.
"Pascal Ferré lied, helium utilized my sanction to beforehand himself and to beforehand the work helium works for. It is unacceptable that the idiosyncratic liable for awarding specified a prestigious prize could prevarication successful this way, successful implicit disrespect for idiosyncratic who has ever respected France Football and the Ballon d'Or. And helium lied again today, justifying my lack from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has nary crushed to exist.
"I ever privation to congratulate those who win, wrong the sportsmanship and fair-play that person guided my vocation since the beginning, and I bash it due to the fact that I'm ne'er against anyone. I ever triumph for myself and for the clubs I represent, I triumph for myself and for those who emotion me. I don't triumph against anyone.
"The biggest ambition of my vocation is to triumph nationalist and planetary titles for the clubs I correspond and for the nationalist squad successful my country. The biggest ambition of my vocation is to beryllium a bully illustration for each those who are oregon privation to beryllium nonrecreational footballers. The biggest ambition of my vocation is to permission my sanction written successful aureate letters successful the past of satellite football.
"I volition extremity by saying that my absorption is already connected Manchester United's adjacent crippled and connected everything that, unneurotic with my teammates and our fans, we tin inactive execute this season."
English (US) ·