Fabio Paim claimed he was a better footballer than the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star when they both played for the Sporting CP youth team.
He made these comments in a recent interview with Globo Esporte via Record.
“I was Sporting's number one at that time. Cristiano started to be Cristiano when he went to Manchester. Even then, nobody knew he would become what he is today.
"Today Cristiano is the king, Paim is nobody. And people say ‘Oh, he's a liar, he wasn't better’. But the truth is that I was better than him and everyone knows that,” he said.
Paim also added that he was more talented than the Portugal national captain, but believes talent alone is not enough to become a football great.
"I had more talent. But talent is nothing, talent is just a little bit. If you don't have the rest, you'll be nobody."
Shocked by this statement, Ronaldo reacted to the interview video shared on Instagram.
He commented: “Wtf??? Who is this guy?”
Who is Fabio Paim?
Fabio Paim, who is three years younger than the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, came through Sporting CP's academy.
Although Paim was called up by the senior squad and received youth caps from Portugal as a teenager, he never played.
He joined Chelsea from Sporting CP in a loan move in 2008 but never featured for the first team.
He played for a short time in Poland after going two years without a team, and then he retired in 2021.
The 36-year-old has now begun working as an adult film star after his retirement.