21 November 2023 , 18:09
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Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at Fabio Paim after the former Sporting CP academy starlet claimed the multi-time Ballon d'Or winner should give him one of his trophies.
Paim, 35, made headlines earlier this week with comments he made about his talent relating to Ronaldo and Lionel Messi: a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. The former Portugal youth international was adamant that he had the talent to rival Ronaldo and Messi when they were at the peak of their powers.
Speaking on a recent podcast hosted by PT Clipes, Paim quipped: "Cristiano Ronaldo should offer me one of his Ballons d’Or. I went to Sporting when I was seven years old, I grew up there. They were years of glory in which I won everything I could. I didn't reach where I could have reached, but I marked a generation. If people don't forget it's because I marked them.
"I said when I was happy that I thought Cristiano Ronaldo could offer me a Ballon d'Or. But it was with humility. If I had half of Cristiano's head, it wouldn't be him and Messi. It would be me, him and Messi and maybe he wouldn't have won the Ballon d'Or that he has. Maybe one of them was mine."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ronaldo has now hit back - and he's done it in the most brutal fashion possible. The 38-year-old megastar commented on the clip of Paim's interview saying: "Wtf. Who is this guy?".
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The comments from the former Manchester United striker, who now plays in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr, went down a storm online with his fans. Ronaldo and Paim were teammates in the youth ranks at Sporting CP before Ronaldo sealed a dream move to the Premier League in 2003.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at claims from former Sporting CP teammate Fabio Paim (AFP)While Ronaldo went on to establish himself as one of the greatest players of all time, Paim became somewhat of a journeyman and struggled to live up to his potential after attracting big suitors as a teenager in Portugal.
He played for a host of clubs during his career and even ended up signing on loan for Chelsea back in 2008 when the Blues were managed by Phil Scolari. He failed to make a single first-team appearance, though and soon moved on. Paim, who won his solitary cap for Portugal's Under-21s back in October 2008, joined Sporting CP at the age of nine.