Cristiano Ronaldo could do whatever he wanted with the remainder of his footballing career and still be regarded as one of the greatest ever.

Despite being two years deep into his thirties now, the Portuguese continues to impress and left victorious at the second staging of FIFA's 'The Best' award night. Ronaldo defeated Lionel Messi and Neymar to collect the accolade in front of a star-studded audience in London.

It almost confirms Ronaldo as the winner for the upcoming Ballon d'Or award for 2017, also, which would bring his tally level with that of Messi at five.

Had the pair's remarkable careers not run parallel, they would both - undoubtedly - be considered the greatest players of their generation. However, both stars have continued striving to better themselves in light of playing simultaneously.

That wasn't quite the case in 2007, though, when Ronaldo was beginning to border on being the best footballer in the world as Messi rose through the ranks at Barcelona.

The 23-year-old came second at that year's Ballon d'Or ceremony but was comfortable beaten by Kaka who was fresh from Champions League glory with AC Milan.

The following season would see Ronaldo go one better with a 31 goal campaign that remains a Premier League record and harvested a European Cup of his own.

For Ronaldo himself, though, the writing was on the wall 12 months earlier. In fact, he not only considered himself the greatest player in the world in 2007 but the best of all time.

That's according to a classic interview with none other than Soccer AM's 'Tubes.'

Ronaldo is seen on a red carpet with Rio Ferdinand and Anderson when the question of the greatest player in history is posed. Ferdinand opens the bidding with Diego Maradona before Ronaldo brilliantly nominated himself.

Check out the video below:

Anderson then goes one better with the reply: 'me or Maradona.' Brilliant.

It goes to show the unbelievable self belief that Ronaldo instilled even back from his Manchester United days. Although it's worth saying that his 2007 answer of 'me' would said with a snigger.

Fast forward a decade and you couldn't exactly blame a football fan for nominating the 32-year-old with his world-record to Real Madrid lifting him to another level.

As the man himself stated in 2016: "Where would I rate myself amongst the top players of the last twenty years? Thinking positively, then I believe with what I’ve achieved, I’m the best of the lot."

Some things never change.

Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo is the GOAT? Have your say in the comments section below.