Ronaldo slams ‘unacceptable’ lie

Ronaldo was absent from the ceremony in Paris for the most prestigious individual award in world football, which was claimed by his long-term rival Lionel Messi for a record-extending seventh time.

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The 34-year-old was a deserving winner, having finished his final season with Barcelona in fine form and winning his first international trophy with Argentina at the Copa America earlier this year.

Messi now has seven Ballon d’Or gongs to his name — two more than Ronaldo, who finished sixth in this year’s voting.

But the Manchester United and Portugal star accused one of the organisers of the award of spreading lies about him in a blistering post on social media.

Pascal Ferré, the editor-in-chief of France Football — the magazine that runs the Ballon d’Or — recently told the New York Times Ronaldo was purely motivated by the desire to finish his career with more individual accolades than Messi.

“Ronaldo has only one ambition, and that is to retire with more Ballons d’Or than Messi,” Ferré said.

“And I know that because he has told me.”

But Ronaldo hit back on Monday, accusing Ferré of an act of “absolute disrespect”.

“Today’s outcome explains why Pascal Ferre’s statements last week, when he said that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Ballons d’Or 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.

“And he lied again today, justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist.”

Ronaldo went on to congratulate the winners of the Ballon d’Or awards, adding his only ambition in football is to win titles for his club and country.

“I always want to congratulate those who win, within the sportsmanship and fair play that have guided my career since the beginning, and I do it because I’m never against anyone,” he said.

“I always win for myself and for the clubs I represent, I win for myself and for those who love me. I don’t win against anyone.

“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.

“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.

“I will end by saying that my focus is already on Manchester United’s next game and on everything that, together with my teammates and our fans, we can still achieve this season.

“The rest? The rest is just the rest…”

Originally published as Cristiano Ronaldo slams ‘unacceptable’ Ballon d’Or lie