CRISTIANO RONALDO responded to former team-mate Fabio Paim after he joked he should have one of his Ballon d’Or titles.
Paim was a childhood friend of Ronaldo and opened up on his relationship with the Manchester United legend in an exclusive interview with SunSport.
Speaking on podcast Sem Remorses, Paim said that if he had “half the head that Cristiano” had he would have had a more fruitful career.
Ronaldo, 38, then responded to the post with a cheeky message.
He seemingly sarcastically wrote: “Wtf. 👀👀👀who is this guy?”
Former Sporting Academy product Paim later joked he had asked Ronaldo for one of his Ballon d’Or gongs.
In his interview with SunSport, Paim recalled how they both ended up eating leftover McDonalds together.
He revealed how they had even jetted off for a holiday together weeks before Ronaldo lit up Euro 2004.
And while Paim is the only player Ronaldo has stated is better than him, his party lifestyle saw his career spiral into ruin.
He had earned a staggering £327,000 aged just 13, but the money and fame did not go well with him.
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When asked if he could have won Ballon d’Ors and title like Ronaldo has, Paim told SunSport: “Yes. I believe so. Cristiano did and I could too.
“Until today, there has been no one like me that young. At that time I was better than Cristiano. I didn’t work the same as them [Ronaldo and Lionel Messi].
“I started earning lots of money and had fame way earlier. That led me to a different path, that’s why I’m not among them and I don’t deserve it.
“I was born with talent. As I was earning lots of money, I got the illusion I didn’t need the effort.
“When I was 13, my monthly wage was €19,000 plus a €150,000 bonus per year. It was always going up. It was too fast.
“I always looked after my family because I had the biggest income at home by 12. My mother was a domestic worker in other people’s houses.
“I could spend the money on my stuff and even when I was doing wrong, I was never called to attention.
“No one said anything because I was so good. Sporting wanted me to play so they let me do whatever I wanted as long as I kept playing at that level.”
Indeed, Paim even spent 12 months in the infamous Caxias prison and literally watched Ronaldo training with Portugal through the window.
Source: The Sun
