Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo believes he is the best footballer in history, and he also feels his goalscoring record does not receive sufficient recognition.
The The Athletic website published excerpts from Ronaldo's interview with CNN Portugal, in which the Portuguese star said: "People do not give the level I produce and my goals the recognition they deserve."
His numbers are staggering. The Al Nassr star has scored 980 goals in 1,337 professional matches across his career with clubs and the Portugal national team.
Asked whether he was aiming to reach the 1,000-goal barrier, Ronaldo replied: "Things have to happen naturally. If I score 920 goals, or 925, or 930, the best player in history is me, and that's the end of it."
He stressed: "The numbers speak for themselves. If I reach that figure, meaning 1,000 goals, it would be something amazing and a target I am working towards, but I don't think about the long term."
Pressed again on his long-term future, Ronaldo said: "I don't know what will happen tomorrow. Maybe one day I'll wake up and lose my motivation, and no longer want to play. I really don't know what might happen."
Then came the twist. A few hours later, CNN deleted the text of Cristiano Ronaldo's interview.