Cristiano Ronaldo is used to being involved in discussions over the top players of all-time following his incredible achievements across decades at the highest level.
His battle with Lionel Messi has dominated the debate, with football fans divided in their view over who the real 'GOAT' is, between the two old rivals.
Ronaldo's incredible longevity looks set to continue for at least a few more years as he bids to lead Portugal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
MORE: All the latest soccer action | Cristiano Ronaldo news
However, despite his apparently assured place amongst the very best, former Italian international Antonio Cassano has boldly disagreed to leave Ronaldo furious.
What did Antonio Cassano say about Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cassano explained his row with Ronaldo, after opting against a place for the 39-year-old, in his top 10 list of all-time greats,
Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona were included, but there was no place for the Al Nassr star.
Cassano told the BSMT Podcast: "I said Ronaldo was No1, the Brazilian. Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t make my top five, or even top 10, because for me the quality of a player is another thing.
"Next thing, I finished the work I was doing and I get a text message from a +34 number, that’s Spain. It’s a list of all the trophies, goals and statistics.
"Then he (Ronaldo) sends me a voice note, telling me, ‘You disrespected me, don’t do anything like that again. You only scored 150 goals, you only won four trophies.’
“So I answered him to say, ‘Dear Cristiano, listen to me. You think I disrespected you, I just don’t like you as a player. What’s the problem?’
“He went to the trouble of messaging me, imagine.”
Cristiano Ronaldo's goal record
As part of his push to keep on playing until the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo is also eyeing another incredible personal milestone, as he tries to break the 1000-goal mark before retirement.
He's 94 away... do you think Cristiano Ronaldo will reach 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ career goals before he retires? ⚽
— Flashscore.com (@Flashscorecom) October 13, 2024
If he scores the remaining 94 in the same amount of time as his previous 94, it would take until March 2027 - when he would be 42 years old - to reach the historic milestone. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/aFfN2ay6hV
That target will be a major goal for Ronaldo, who turns 40 at the start of 2025, with 906 scored so far. He is already Real Madrid's record goal scorer and the all-time leader for international appearances (215) and goals (133) with Portugal.
