Cristiano Ronaldo responded on X after France Football magazine crowned him the Ballon d'Or's greatest player in history. The honour recognised his 2007-2008 season with Manchester United.
Ronaldo's message
Posting on X, Ronaldo wrote: "Football belongs to the fans.. Thank you to all the supporters around the world."
The Portuguese star continued: "The Ballon d'Or award for the greatest player in history is your award too."
How the award was decided
A month-long public online vote decided the award, and Ronaldo edged out Lionel Messi by a narrow margin.
His honour recognised his 2007-2008 season with Manchester United. He scored 42 goals in all competitions as Manchester United won the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
Messages from the Portuguese Federation and clubs
According to ESPN, the Portuguese Federation also congratulated Ronaldo after he won the Ballon d'Or for the greatest player in history.
On X, the Portuguese Federation wrote: "From 2008 to forever. The greatest player to win the Ballon d'Or in history is Portuguese. Congratulations, captain."
Manchester United and Real Madrid joined the celebrations, according to GOAL.
Ballon d'Or record and social post
GOAL reported that Marca said Ronaldo shared photos on Instagram of his daily work and training routine with the caption "Preparing."
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards, with four of them earned at Real Madrid in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.