Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he has reached a stage in the game of football where it is “not easy to improve”.
The 30-year-old Portugal international believes he is the best player in the world and should be compared to football’s all-time greats.
In an interview with the BBC on Thursday, Ronaldo, who has scored 504 career goals in 760 games, said: “I don’t need to say ‘I’m in the history of football, I’m a legend’. The numbers say everything.”
Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games for Manchester United and joined Madrid in 2009 for £80 million pounds, where he has scored 326 goals in 314 games.
“To improve more it’s very tough. I just want to maintain because this is I think the most difficult part for a football player,” he said. “In my mind, I’m always the best. I don’t care what people think, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I’m always the best.”
When asked about his rivalry with Lionel Messi, who has scored 412 goals in 492 appearances for Barcelona, he replied: “It’s opinions, I respect the opinions. Maybe in your opinion Messi is better than me, but in my mind I am better than him. So it’s simple.”
The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner says he wants to play for 5 or 6 more years before calling it quits.