Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo was ready to end his professional career in 2019 due to the fact that Paris Saint-Germain striker Lionel Messi will receive the Golden Ball. L'Equipe reports this with a link to a book by former France Football journalist Thierry Marchand, which went on sale on November 9.
Cristiano RonaldoThe book includes several interviews with Ronaldo. One of them was recorded at the end of October 2019, on the eve of the Champions League game, when the 37-year-old Portuguese played for Juventus.
“When you achieve success, it’s easy to stay in your “bubble” without leaving your comfort zone. I decided to move to Turin, change the club, the championship, football culture. I put myself in danger. I took this risk, which, I am sure, cost me the Golden Ball. If Messi wins this year, I will retire from football,” Ronaldo said in 2019.
Recall that Messi became the owner of the Golden Ball that season, but Ronaldo continued to perform at a professional level.
