Cristiano Ronaldo recently shared with Piers Morgan that his legacy isn’t contingent on winning the FIFA World Cup.
A five-time Ballon d’Or recipient, Ronaldo boasts 952 career goals and holds the record for the most goals in men’s international football, with 143.
The World Cup is the sole major title that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
“If you ask me, Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup? No, it’s not a dream,” said the 40-year-old in a preview clip of his full interview to be released later today.
The captain of Portugal believes it’s unfair for a single tournament to define a player’s entire career.
“Define what?” the Al Nassr leader asked. “To determine if I’m one of the best in history based on one competition, [which consists of] six or seven games? Is that fair?”
Ronaldo, who has secured four of his five Champions League titles with Real Madrid, has consistently been compared to Lionel Messi throughout his career.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, recently stated that winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina after numerous tries was “the dream of my life.”
Ronaldo has celebrated many victories with the national team, including leading Portugal to capture the Euro 2016 championship, as well as the inaugural UEFA Nations League three years later.
He remains the only player to have participated in six European Championships and holds the record for most goals scored in the tournament’s history, with 14 goals. Ronaldo asserts there is no debate on who is the greatest of all time.
“Is Messi better than me? I disagree. I don’t want to be humble,” Ronaldo stated.
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Ronaldo is expected to lead Portugal if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
This tournament will be Portugal’s first without Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car accident in Spain last July.
Though Ronaldo did not attend Jota’s funeral, he expressed that he was “devastated” by the unexpected loss of the Liverpool forward.
“I couldn’t believe it when I received the messages,” Ronaldo shared. “I wept a lot. It was an incredibly tough time for everyone—families, friends, teammates, and our country.”
“Devastated. It was very, very sad news.”