Cristiano Ronaldo Admits His Arrogant Image May Have Cost Him A Lot

In an exclusive interview with CNN, the Real Madrid forward reveals how his onfield demeanor has left him sitting in the shadow of the sport's golden boy and fans' favorite, Lionel Messi. He believes his "arrogant" image has prevented him from capturing the hearts of football fans across the globe.

"I don't want to cry about it, but sometimes I think yes," said Ronaldo after being asked whether his image had cost him in the past.

"It's a question to which I never give the 100% right answer, because sometimes I really don't know.

"I don't think it's allowed for people to change my personality.

"Maybe sometimes, I agree that I have a bad image on the pitch because I'm too serious."

Ronaldo and Messi are undoubtedly the best in the field, they have taken the sport to a new level with their record goalscoring feats -- Ronaldo has scored an astonishing 164 times in 160 appearances for the Spanish champions, while Messi hit 50 in La Liga alone last term.

                                                                                                                              

The 27-year-old Portugal star is unhappy with how he's often portrayed in the media compared to more "loveable" Messi and says he has become a "victim."

"But if you really know me, if you are my friend and I leave you inside my house and you share the day with me, you will know I hate to lose," he said.

"I learn by my mistakes and that's life. You know, sometimes I'm a victim of that because they don't know the real Cristiano.

"But, this is part of the life. This is me."

While Messi often plays with a smile on his face like a kid in the schoolyard, Ronaldo is often seen moaning, gesticulating and scowling while trying to inspire Real to victory.

But he insists that his competitive nature should not be mistaken for arrogance.

"I was in the swimming pool with my girlfriend and sometimes we like to have a race," he said.

"Sometimes you have to give her an opportunity to be happy but I win because I don't like to lose.

"It's simple like that. Can you imagine me on the pitch playing against players, playing against other teams, it's not allowed to let them win.

"I'm a competitive man and sometimes people interpret that in a different way, which is a pain on me because I don't like it, but I have to live."

Ronaldo wants to change peoples’ perspective of him, he wants to chat with fans:

"People who call me arrogant, I'm interested -- not with all of them, but most of them," he added.

"One day I would like to sit with them and have a chat to see in which way they think I'm arrogant.

"You know, to have a chat, in a nice place and for them to get to know me, you understand?

"Because I think they need to sit with me to know who the real Cristiano is."

Culled