Cristiano Ronaldo News: Off-Field Controversy Clouds another Brilliant Season from Ronaldo

Real Madrid Bests Barca in Early Season Tilt

However, a story recently broke that indicated that Ronaldo insults Messi when the cameras are not around. Some of Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammates have claimed that Ronaldo allegedly refers to Messi by an offensive expression frequently.

Ronaldo vehemently denies the use of such an expression, and he took to Facebook to express his thoughts on the matter, saying "This is absolutely false and I have assured my lawyer takes action to sue those responsible. I have the utmost respect for all my professional colleagues, and Messi is obviously no exception."

Ronaldo Returning to Manchester United?

The controversy puts a bit of a damper on what has started out as yet another stellar season for the reigning FIFA player of the year. Ronaldo has appeared in 17 games for Real Madrid so far this year between the La Liga season and the UEFA Champions League. In those games, he has scored 23 goals and registered six assists. He has also notched three hat tricks so far this season. If he can put this controversy behind him, Ronaldo is well on his way to challenging for the Ballon d'Or again this year.