Cape Town - World-renowned football star Cristiano Ronaldo admits that he hopes to have more Ballon d’Or award wins than counterpart Lionel Messi.
The two forwards are currently abreast with five Ballon d’Or wins each with Ronaldo being the most recent recipient in 2017.
Now named, The Best FIFA Football Awards, Ronaldo believes that he is deserving of another gong come next week Monday, September 23 when the ceremony takes place in Italy.
"I would love it, and I think I deserve it," Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan on ITV.
"Messi is a fantastic guy, a fantastic player. He’s in the history of football – but I think I have to have six or seven or eight to be above him.
"My relationship with him is, we are not friends, but we have shared this stage for 15 years.
"I have a good relationship with him and I know that he has pushed me to be a better player and I have pushed him to be a better player as well."
After winning five UEFA Champions League finals with Real Madrid, Ronaldo left the Spanish giants at the end of the 2017/18 season for Juventus.
The Serie A side went on to win the league crown and Supercoppa Italiana but failed to progress beyond the Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool going all the way to claim their sixth European crown last season.
The 34-year-old has already lost out to Reds defender Virgil Van Dijk for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award last month following his emphatic 2018/19 season.
However, despite not having won any major individual awards in the past year, Ronaldo is well aware that his name will remain in football history for many years.
"I’m sure I'm in the history of football for what I have done and what I’m continuing to do, but one of the best players in history," Ronaldo said.
"For me, the No 1 in history, but for some fans, if the No 1 is another one and I'm second, it doesn't matter.
"I know I’m in the history of football as one of the greatest ever."
He added: "It's part of my sacrifice, my obsession to win, to have success. When I say success, I have worked for that. Talent is not enough, I dedicate so much that this is part of me, records are part of me.
"I don’t follow the records, the records follow me. I'm addicted to success, and I don't think it's something bad, I think it’s good. It motivates me. If you're not motivated, it's better to stop."
- Compiled by Tashreeq Vardien