*Undated
Cristiano Ronaldo tore into the Ballon d'Or organiser who claimed his "only ambition" was to end his career with more wins than Lionel Messi on the evening of the event.
The Manchester United superstar, 36, has won the golden ball five times while Paris Saint-Germain rival Messi, 34, now has seven gongs to his name.
Messi was a heavy favourite to triumph - and duly did - during a ceremony in the French capital on Monday night, where Ronaldo was not in attendance.
The Ballon d'Or is presented by magazine France Football, whose editor-in-chief stoked the rivalry between the two iconic footballers last week. Pascal Ferre said "Ronaldo has only one ambition, and that is to retire with more Ballons d’Or than Messi, and I know that because he has told me."
In the wake of Ferre's comments, Ronaldo hit back on Instagram with an astonishing statement, branding the alleged quotes "lies" and insisting he has always championed "sportsmanship".
"Today's outcome explains why Pascal Ferre's statements last week, when he stated that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Golden Balls than Lionel Messi," the Portugal captain wrote. "Pascal Ferre lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for."
"It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d'Or. And he lied again today, justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist. I always want to congratulate those who win, within the sportsmanship and fair-play that have guided my career since the beginning, and I do it because I'm never against anyone."
"I always win for myself and for the clubs I represent, I win for myself and for those who love me. I don't win against anyone. The biggest ambition of my career is to win national and international titles for the clubs I represent and for the national team in my country. The biggest ambition of my career is to be a good example for all those who are or want to be professional footballers, " concluded Ronaldo.
The Ballon d'Or - awarded to the best footballer of the year - is voted on by 180 journalists worldwide and presented by France Football. Messi has already won the trophy more times than any other player and his seventh success comes after wins in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.
Ronaldo, who last won the award in 2017, finished outside the top five for the first time since 2010. Either Messi or Ronaldo has collected the award every year from 2008 to 2019, apart from in 2018 when Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric won.