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<\/p>\nCRISTIANO RONALDO responded to former team-mate Fabio Paim after he joked he should have one of his Ballon d'Or titles.<\/p>\n
Paim was a childhood friend of Ronaldo and opened up on his relationship with the Manchester United legend in an exclusive interview with SunSport.<\/p>\n
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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. <\/p>\n
Ronaldo, 38, then responded to the post with a cheeky message.<\/p>\n
He seemingly sarcastically wrote: "Wtf. \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40who is this guy?"<\/p>\n
Former Sporting Academy product Paim later joked he had asked Ronaldo for one of his Ballon d'Or gongs.<\/p>\n
In his interview with SunSport, Paim recalled how they both ended up eating leftover McDonalds together.<\/p>\n He revealed how they had even jetted off for a holiday together weeks before Ronaldo lit up Euro 2004.<\/p>\n And while Paim is the only player Ronaldo has stated is better than him, his party lifestyle saw his career spiral into ruin.<\/p>\n He had earned a staggering \u00a3327,000 aged just 13, but the money and fame did not go well with him.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS<\/strong><\/p>\n When asked if he could have won Ballons d'Or and title like Ronaldo has, Paim told SunSport: "Yes. I believe so. Cristiano did and I could too.<\/p>\n \u201cUntil 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].<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI was born with talent. As I was earning lots of money, I got the illusion I didn't need the effort.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was 13, my monthly wage was \u20ac19,000 plus a \u20ac150,000 bonus per year. It was always going up. It was too fast.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI could spend the money on my stuff and even when I was doing wrong, I was never called to attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNo one said anything because I was so good.\u00a0Sporting\u00a0wanted me to play so they let me do whatever I wanted as long as I kept playing at that level.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, Paim even spent 12 months in the infamous Caxias prison and literally watched\u00a0Ronaldo\u00a0training with Portugal through the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/newspress-collage-24786973-1700415434026.jpg\")
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