MANCHESTER UNITED legend Cristiano Ronaldo's only goal is to surpass rival Lionel Messi on Ballon d'Or awards.

That is according to France Football editor-in-chief Pascal Ferre, who claims Ronaldo told him he wants to retire with more gongs than Messi.

Ferre told the New York Times: "Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d'Or [awards] than Messi.

"I know because he has told me."

Both football greats are up for this year's prestigious award and Messi is a favourite to bag his seventh Ballon d'Or.

If the Paris Saint-Germain star prevails then Ronaldo will be behind by two and he is already at the advanced age of 36 years old.

But Ferre refuses to give any indication on who this year's winner is and is very proud of his track record as he has prevented leaks these past six years.

The French editor is adamant that no one should ever know before the actual winner.

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Ferre added: "This is my sixth year in charge of the event. I have not made a mistake yet.

"I don't want to lie [to those asking who the winner is].

"But I tell them that I can't share their name because the winners do not know yet, and it would not be right for them not to be the first to find out."

Ferre loves to be the one to tell the winner the good news and remembers how Real Madrid star Luka Modric "cried like a child" when he found out he won the Ballon d'Or three years ago.

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