“Deserves the Ballon d'Or ahead of Messi” - Manchester United fans react to Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking hattrick for Portugal

Manchester United fans have been raving about Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking hat-trick for Portugal online. Many have even suggested the 36-year-old forward should win the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo scored his tenth international hat-trick in Portugal's World Cup Qualifier game against Luxembourg, which the side won 5-0. This took Ronaldo's international goals tally to 115 goals in 182 caps for Portugal.

Manchester United fans were understandably happy to see their star forward continue to score goals even at the age of 36. Here are some of the best tweets from United fans:

Cristiano Ronaldo has had an impressive start to the 2021-22 season for both club and country. The 36-year-old forward recently broke Ali Daei's long-standing record of most international goals at 109. Since then, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has extended the record and currently has 115 goals for Portugal.

At club level, Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United earlier this summer and has excelled for the club he first left back in 2009. The 36-year-old forward has so far scored five goals for Manchester United in six appearances across all competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival has made Manchester United one of the favorites for the Premier League title this season. However, a string of poor results has seen the Red Devils currently fourth in the league, two points behind leaders Chelsea.

Ronaldo's form with Portugal will bring positivity back to Manchester United fans as they enter a tough period of the season. The Red Devils are due to face all of their title rivals in Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the next couple of months.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's exploits with Portugal and Manchester United might not be enough for the 2021 Ballon d'Or

Despite being one of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t one of the favorites to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The 36-year-old forward is currently behind the likes of Jorginho, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski in the race for the 'Golden Ball'.

Jorginho's exploits with Chelsea and the Italian national team have tipped him as the favorite for the Ballon d'Or. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi had an amazing summer with Argentina, helping them win the Copa America.

It is worth noting that Ronaldo remains the last Manchester United player to win the Ballon d'Or. The Portuguese sensation won the first of his five awards back in 2008.

Since then, the Ballon d'Or has become somewhat a duopoly between Ronaldo and Messi, with the pair winning 11 awards between themselves.