Cristiano Ronaldo reveals he 'could have played for Barcelona' before joining Man United

He is scheduled to celebrate his 40th birthday on Wednesday. However, his advancing age has not hindered his ability to score goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo has netted 23 competitive goals for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia this season, in addition to five goals in the Nations League while representing Portugal.

It is evident that he possesses a strong sense of confidence, as he articulated in an interview with the Spanish television program La Sexta.

"I believe I am the best player in football history, no one has been better," stated the six-time Ballon d'Or recipient, who also acknowledged that he had the opportunity to play for Barcelona.

"The numbers say I am the most complete footballer that has ever existed. People can like Messi, Maradona, Pele... and I respect that, yes, but I am the most complex and the numbers say that," stated a confident Ronaldo.

"In the history of football, I haven't seen anyone better than me. I tell the truth from the heart," the Portuguese, who has netted an incredible 923 competitive goals in his career, added on La Sexta.

Ronaldo also enumerated his attributes. "I'm fast, strong, I score goals with my head or my left foot, no one has ever been more complete than me. I am the best player in history. I really believe that."

The current Al Nassr striker, who has previously played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus during his illustrious career, also revealed that he could have joined Barcelona before his move to England.

"I could have played for Barca. They tried to get me when I was at Sporting. They wanted me, but a year later Manchester United came along."

Barcelona, whose team was led by his long-time rival Lionel Messi, represented his most significant competition throughout his career. However, Ronaldo expressed his enjoyment of the encounters against the Catalan club. "I loved playing at the Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me and I loved it!"

In a wide-ranging interview, the owner of six Ballon d'Ors also commented on the recent announcement of the prestigious winner.

"Vini (Vinicius Junior) deserved to win the Ballon d'Or, but I'm not surprised... it lacks credibility," Ronaldo said, before adding words of praise for the Brazilian: "He won the Champions League and scored goals."