Ronaldo: I'm the most complete and the greatest in history — anyone who says otherwise is a liar

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo settled the debate over the title of the best in football history, declaring himself the greatest ever and saying his football legacy is not tied to reaching the 1,000-goal mark.

The 41-year-old's remarks came in an extended interview with CNN Portugal, following his return to his club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where he scored his 980th career goal in a 3-0 win over Al-Diriyah.

This came days after he left Portugal's national team camp amid a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus, which led to his suspension by the Portuguese Football Federation.

Ronaldo said: 'People don't appreciate what I'm doing right now; all their focus is on how many goals I have left to reach 1,000, and I don't like that at all. Things should happen naturally.'

He added: 'Whether I score 920 goals or 930, I am the greatest in history, period. The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to scoring. If I reach 1,000 it will be great, but I'm not obliged to do so.'

The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus star touched on his historic rivalry with Lionel Messi, likening it to the duel between Formula 1 legends Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, saying: 'We have always pushed each other.'

Ronaldo concluded firmly: 'If someone prefers Messi or Pelé or Maradona, that's a personal taste I respect, but to say Cristiano Ronaldo is not a complete player is a lie. I am the most complete player in history.'