Ronaldo was critical after Lionel Messi was announced as the winner of both trophies, implying that he had been overlooked. The Portuguese star pointed to ‘the numbers’ and argued that he should have won instead of Messi. He also cited his attitude to being fired by Manchester United as another reason why he should have received the award.

Speaking to Record, Ronaldo said: “It’s not to sɑy that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappe… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. You have to consider the entire season.

“The numbers are facts. If you go back and see what happened at Manchester United and the national team, people actually considered me lost… But the TгᴜтҺ is that I focused and had a great period at Al Nassr, that’s why I scored 54 goals”.

Ronaldo’s latest statements are yet another example of his great self-confidence, adding to an already lengthy list. The striker recently asserted that the Saudi Pro League was superior to Ligue 1 and has frequently discussed his goalscoring achievements in 2023. In reality, few would dispute that Ronaldo deserved to win either trophy, and even fewer would agree that the 39-year-old is any longer the finest player in the world, even if he believes it.

Fortunately for Ronaldo, he will have the opportunity to prove he is a greater player than Lionel Messi – or at least justify it to himself. Al-Nassr will face Inter Miami in a friendly on February 1 for what could be their final meeting.