Ronaldo after 5th Ballon d'Or win: 'I'm the best player in history'

In the eyes of Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no one better than himself.

Upon collecting his fifth Ballon d'Or award, the Real Madrid star declared he's "the best player" in the history of football despite also admitting he didn't think he'd ever equal rival Lionel Messi's haul.

"I don’t see anyone better than me," Ronaldo declared to France Football, according to Oliver Kay of The Times. "No player does things that I cannot do myself, but I see things others can’t do. There’s no more complete player than me. I’m the best player in history - in the good and the bad moments."

Even his manager Zinedine Zidane, who won the award in 1998, couldn't deny Ronaldo's claim based on the 32-year-old's incredible impact at Real Madrid since joining the Spanish giant in 2009.

"There have been many players who have made history at this club. But nobody has done what he has - the statistics speak for that. What he has done is impressive. So I think yes (he is the best in history)," Zidane said, according to ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan.

Ronaldo collected his first Ballon d'Or when he was with Manchester United in 2008, Messi went on to win the honour four straight times and caused Ronaldo to doubt whether he'd be able to ever catch the Barcelona superstar.

"I didn't think I'd be able to catch Messi, because after I won my first, he won four, and I thought it would be difficult to equal him," Ronaldo told L'Equipe, as translated by Ian Holyman of ESPN FC. "But football gives you the opportunity to keep working and winning, and I have won, and I'm experiencing a great period."

Since Messi's string of four consecutive Ballon d'Or victories, Ronaldo has won the award four times in the last five years.