Portugese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has condemned Ballon d'Or organizer Pascal Ferre, claiming he lied about Ronaldo’s ambition to retire with more Ballons d’Or awards than Argentine striker Lionel Messi.

In an interview with the New York Times ahead of the 2021 awards, Pascal Ferre had said, “Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d’Or [awards] than Messi. I know because he has told me.” Disputing Ferre’s claims, Ronaldo issued a statement on his social media page, calling him a liar. “Today’s outcome explains the comments by Pascal Ferre last week, when he stated that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Ballons d’Or than Lionel Messi,” Ronaldo wrote.

“Pascal Ferre lied and used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication that he works for. It’s unacceptable for the person responsible for handing out such a prestigious award to lie in this way and to show disrespect to someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d’Or. He lied again today to justify my absence from the ceremony due to an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist.”

He further added, “I always congratulate whoever wins, in tandem with the sportsmanship and fair play that have underpinned my career since the start and I do that because I’m never against anyone. I always win for myself and for the clubs that I represent. I win for myself and for those who love me. I don’t win against anyone. My biggest ambition in my career is to win trophies at club and international level, for the clubs that I play for and my national team. My biggest ambition in my career is to set a good example for everyone who is or wants to be a professional footballer.”

“My biggest ambition in my career is to have my name written in gold in world football history. I’ll finish up by saying that my focus is already on Manchester United’s next game and everything that we can still achieve this season alongside my teammates and our fans. As for the rest, the rest is just that,” Ronaldo concluded his statement.

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