Ronaldo: I'd have more Ballons d'Or than Messi if we played together

Cristiano Ronaldo is convinced he would have more Ballons d'Or in his trophy cabinet than eternal rival Lionel Messi if the two played on the same team.

The Real Madrid superstar won France Football's high-profile award Monday, the fourth of his career, pulling in more than 400 more individual votes than his Argentine counterpart.

Many predicted Ronaldo would take home the prestigious honour after collecting both the Champions League and an elusive European Championship title.

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The sight of Ronaldo and Messi in the same uniform has excited the imagination, and the possibility prompted a considerate response from Madrid's goal machine.

"It would be interesting to see both of us in the same team. I think great players should play together. So if we were in the same team, I think I would have more than him, but he wouldn't be far off," said Ronaldo, according to ESPN FC's Ian Holyman.

"Everyone knows Messi is a great player. He's won five Ballons d'Or."

Although he didn't score in either the Champions League or Euro 2016 final, he contributed 51 goals in 54 matches for Madrid and Portugal over the course of the calendar year.

He admitted it's getting more difficult to maintain his high physical standards. Few players in the game can match Ronaldo's rigorous preparation, strict diet, and dedication to playing every game. He's out there at least 40 matches a season across all competitions.

But at 31 years old, he's learned to think about the campaign as a marathon, not a sprint.

"You have to do it, and accept reality, which is that I am 31. It's not easy, because I feel really good, but I see that the recovery after games is not exactly the same," he added. "It's a little slower, particularly when I have put in very intense effort every three days."

A change of position could accommodate the transition into the latter years of his career. Though he's enjoyed great success as a winger for Madrid and Manchester United, Ronaldo's already become more of a penalty-box poacher.

And he's open to that.

"Why not?" he said. "It's an idea to think about. I'm ready and I accept things change. It's not a problem."