It was the first installment of "El Clasico" this season which matches two of the best soccer teams in the world, Barcelona and Real Madrid. But more importantly for many sports fans, it was the latest matchup of the world's two best soccer players, and two of the most dominating athletes in any sport, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And while fans will argue which is the better footballer, it is becoming more and more obvious just how much the two stars dislike each other.

The latest was the post-match handshakes when it was blatantly obvious that Ronaldo and Messi not only didn't shake hands, but went out of their ways to avoid each other...

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This is uncomfortable.

They made Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo sit near each other at the Champions League Group Stage Draw — which is basically the March Madness Selection Show but 100-times more snazzy.

Fresh off their handshake snub, the two rivals didn't seem too excited to be there.

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Cristiano Ronaldo dropped a bombshell over the weekend.

After refusing to celebrate his two goals in a 3-0 win over Granada on Sunday, he told the press, "I am sad and the club knows it, that's why I didn't celebrate the goals. The appropriate people inside the club know why I'm sad. I won't say anything more."

La Marca reports that the club's president was "totally shocked" when Ronaldo called them into a meeting on Saturday. And now he's being linked to clubs all over the world.

So why's he so sad?

The most widely speculated reason is his contract. Everyone agrees that Ronaldo is one of the two best players in the world, but he only makes around $12 million per year — which is less than players like Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and roughly the same as his underpeforming teammate Kaka. His current deal lasts until 2015.

There's a bunch of other ridiculous sounding rumors (Ronaldo wanted more people from Madrid to go with him to a UEFA awards ceremony, etc.), and you can find those on Marca's website under the "Reasons For His Sadness" tag.

Ronaldo is coming off the best year of his career. He scored 64 goals in all competitions and led Madrid to the La Liga title.

We've seen big players, most notably Wayne Rooney in 2010, have public falling outs with their clubs, only to resolve the disputes a few weeks later. So we're still a long, long way away from Ronaldo making an earth-shattering move to another club in the January transfer window.

But the team is already five points back of Barcelona three games into the season, and this won't help.

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Here the reason why Cristiano Ronaldo isn't going to leave Real Madrid, despite his recent falling out with the club: €1,000,000,000.

That's the value of the buyout clause in Ronaldo's contract, according to Spanish media (via the Telegraph).

So if any team wants to jump in and sign the world's best (er, second best) player before 2015, they'd have to pony up 10 figures.

That ain't happening.

PSG, Manchester City, Anzhi Makalaka, and Chelsea are all owned by billionaires who've shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars for players.

But €1 billion is an entirely different ballpark. The current world record for a soccer transfer is $93 million, which Madrid spent to pry Ronaldo from Manchester United in 2009.

The only way Ronaldo leaves Madrid is if this buyout clause is way less than the reported value, or if Madrid is willing to negotiate a smaller buyout settlement.

So if you're a fan of one of these uber-rich clubs hoping to land Ronaldo, don't get your hopes up.

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Cristiano Ronaldo bewildered many when he told reporters he didn't celebrate after scoring two goals during a recent win because he was "sad."

"I am sad and the club knows it, that's why I didn't celebrate the goals. The appropriate people inside the club know why I'm sad. I won't say anything more," Ronaldo said.

Speculation quickly centered around Ronaldo wanting a new contract after getting surpassed by so many of his peers despite always being mentioned as the best or second best player on earth.

But Ronaldo denied contract issue rumors by tweeting the following Tuesday (via Dirty Tackle):

That I am feeling sad and have expressed this sadness has created a huge stir. I am accused of wanting more money, but one day it will be shown that this is not the case. At this point, I just want to guarantee to the Real Madrid fans that my motivation, dedication, commitment and desire to win all competitions will not be affected. I have too much respect for myself and for Real Madrid to ever give less to the club than all I am capable of. Abrazos to all madridistas

Ronaldo says "one day it will be shown that this is not the case" and he's already stated the reasons behind it are "professional" and not "personal."

So really the only thing we and every other soccer fan can say about this is: Dude, what the hell is going on?

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Soccer is the world's biggest sport, but the top players are not paid significantly more than their counterparts in North America.

The Spanish paper Marca compiled a list of the 10 highest-paid soccer players in the world last month. We took this list and compared each player with an athlete from the NBA, MLB, and NFL who made the same amount of money this year.

The results were interesting.

The world-famous Cristiano Ronaldo makes roughly the same amount of money as the 52nd-highest paid player in baseball. Wayne Rooney makes about as much as Chris Paul. And the highest-paid soccer player on Earth makes well more than anyone else in the NFL.

10. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid ($12.9 million)

NBA: Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors (36th)

NFL: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (13th)

MLB: Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians (52nd)

Source: Marca

9. Lionel Messi, Barcelona ($13.6 million)

NBA: Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks (29th)

NFL: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (10th)

MLB: Jayson Werth, Washington Nationals (49th)

Source: Marca

8. Dario Conca, Guangzhou Evergrande ($13.7 million)

NBA: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (24th)

NFL: Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles (9th)

MLB: Josh Johnson, Miami Marlins (48th)

Source: Marca

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Real Madrid blew out Turkish club Galatasaray in the Champions League today 3-0.

The highlight of the game came just eight minutes in, when Cristiano Ronaldo received a pass on the left side of the box, took a touch, and chipped a shot over the goalie and into the far corner.

Barring some sort of miracle on the second game in Turkey next week, Real Madrid will advance to the Champions League semifinals:

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid are currently in Los Angeles to play a couple of preseason friendlies.

Last night, the Portuguese superstar threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Dodgers-Yankees game.

It did not go well. 

Right over the catcher's head (more below):

Here it is in video form, from a different angle. It was a solid three feet over Yasiel Puig's head:

His hitting wasn't so hot either:

But then again he can juggle a baseball with his feet:

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In a scary scene that Cristiano Ronaldo handled remarkably well, a fan ran on to the field during the International Champions Cup Final in Miami and hugged the Real Madrid star for several moments before security could intervene.

At the beginning of the video below, Ronaldo can be seen sitting on the pitch in the upper-right corner. Shortly after he gets back on his feet, the fan jumped over the wall and started running towards Ronaldo (0:30 mark). Ronaldo kept his cool and returned the embrace for nearly 30 seconds before security intervened.

While this fan turned out to be harmless, Ronaldo may have inadvertently encouraged more fans to do the same. Let's hope he doesn't come to regret that.

Here's the video...

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Cristiano Ronaldo got Real Madrid's Champions League campaign off to the best possible start yesterday, scoring a hat trick in his team's 6-1 win over Galatasaray.

His third goal is an early contender for UCL goal of the year.

After a Galatasaray giveaway at midfield, Ronaldo took the ball at the edge of the box on the counter attack, split two defenders, sprinted past a third defender, and scored on a left-footed shot from a crazy angle.

Ronaldo just signed a contract that will pay him $24 million a year. Here's why:

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"I think that because I am rich, handsome and a great player people are envious of me. I don't have any other explanation."

That's Cristiano Ronaldo talking about why people hate him.

While other soccer players date models and appear in underwear ads too, no one's lifestyle gets under the skin of soccer fans like Ronaldo's.

He earned $42.5 million last year, making him the ninth highest-paid athlete on earth.

Source: Forbes

He just signed a contract that'll pay him $23 million per year until 2018 — making him the world's highest-paid player.

Source: Marca

He makes almost that much ($22 million annually) in off-field endorsements.

Source: Forbes

He is among the world's most recognised sporting figures and he earns an after-tax salary of $461,000 a week from Real Madrid. Now, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has taken up cudgels on behalf of a penniless Florida student who is in trouble for running on to the pitch and hugging him during a game in Miami.

Ronald Gjoka, 19, was one of 70,000 fans at an exhibition game between Real Madrid and Chelsea at the Sun Life Stadium in August. Sitting close to the sidelines and wearing a Ronaldo jersey, Gjoka said he was overcome by the moment and sprinted on to the field to greet his footballing hero.

His actions earned him two days in jail and charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct, which Ronaldo himself now wants dismissed after writing an emotional letter on the Albanian-born Canadian student's behalf to the Miami-Dade state attorney's office.

"My name is Cristiano Ronaldo, and I play football (soccer) for Real Madrid," the letter, obtained by the Miami Herald, begins. "I was playing at Sun Life Stadium last month when a fan entered the field. His name is Ronald Gjoka, a young college student. We hugged, and we spoke for a while, until security arrived to escort him off the field. He was not aggressive or violent in ANY way. In addition, he did not resist security or police in any possible way."

Ronaldo's letter concludes: "I am concerned because I understand he may face potential problems with immigration and with his college if the criminal charges against him are not dismissed. I understand your position and the importance of enforcing rules and laws. However, I respectfully request that you and your office reconsider this decision and dismiss the two criminal charges this young man faces. Sincerely, Cristiano Ronaldo."

The newspaper said Ronaldo's lawyers in Portugal asked the player to write the letter, then posted it after Richard Hujber, a football fan in Boynton Beach, Florida, wrote to them soon after the episode. A note from the lawyers on an embossed letterhead accompanied Ronaldo's message, to prove its authenticity.

"He [Gjoka] is just a huge soccer fan who made a mistake," Hujber told the Herald. "It was stupid what he did, but he's a really bright kid, and I would hate for these low-level misdemeanours to affect his academic future or perhaps his immigration status. Ever since 9/11 student visa holders are scrutinised much more closely."

Despite the footballer' best efforts, the case against Gjoka is set to move ahead in court in Miami on Monday. Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the state attorney's office, said Ronaldo's letter was "very, very nice" but would have no effect because he was not the aggrieved party.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

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Nike is doing a series of Instagram video ads for Cristiano Ronaldo's new CR7 cleats.

They're great. They all involve splicing together footage of Ronaldo doing something spectacular on the pitch with footage of something completely unrelated and identifiably meme-y (babies, cats, etc.).

Here's one with a baby:

One with cats:

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Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 to win the latest installment of their rivalry, El Clásico. But the win did not come without controversy as Cristiano Ronaldo was not awarded a penalty kick on a takedown in the penalty area.

With Real Madrid trailing 1-0 in the second half, Ronaldo had broken free and looked to be in a good position to tie the match. Contact from behind sent Ronaldo to the ground, but no foul was called and no penalty kick was awarded. Here is the controversial no-call:

Here is another angle that makes it look like it should have been a foul:

Ronaldo certainly thought it should have been a foul:

Alexis Sanchez would later score on this gorgeous chip shot to give Barça a 2-0 lead. Real Madrid would add a late goal in the 90th minute but it was too little, too late:

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FIFA president Sepp Blatter did a bizarre interview at the Oxford Union where he praised Lionel Messi and half-jokingly disparaged Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Real Madrid forward isn't happy.

Blatter described Messi as "a good man," and said Ronaldo represented "the other side of football."

Blatter then did a weird impression of Ronaldo where he walked around the stage like a solider before making a joke about his hair.

Ronaldo is not amused. He tweeted a link to the video interview and said, "This video shows the respect and consideration that FIFA has for me, my club and my country. Much is explained now."

Then, apparently sarcastically, he tweeted, "I wish Mr.Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he'll continue to witness the successes of his favourite teams and players."

Ouch.

Here's how Blatter described Messi:

"Lionel Messi is the good boy every mother and father would like to have at home. He's a good man. He's very fast. He's very fast. He's not exuberant. He's playing well, he's really, he's dancing. He's a kind man. He's really good. He's a good boy. And that's what makes him so popular and naturally he'll always get a lot of votes because he is this nice man. And he plays well and scores goals."

And how he described Ronaldo:

"And the other one [Ronaldo] ... this is something else. The other one, he is like a commander on the field of play, bah bah bah [does impersonation of Ronaldo]. This is the other side of football, and that's good to have such commanders on the field also because you don't have the same attitude. That gives life to football. One has more expenses for the hairdresser than the other but that doesn't matter."

It's more strange than malicious, but clearly Ronaldo took exception.

Here's the full video:

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Pepsi's Cristiano Ronaldo ads went viral yesterday, but in the worst way possible for the company.

Before yesterday World Cup qualifier between Portugal and Sweden, Pepsi's Swedish branch posted several ads featuring a voodoo doll of Ronaldo, Portugal's uber famous forward.

Here's one where the doll is strapped to train tracks:

The ads caught more attention in Portugal than Sweden, and Portuguese fans quickly set to work organizing against Pepsi. A Portuguese Facebook group proclaiming "I will never drink Pepsi again" has gained over 130,000 "likes" in the past day.

Here's an ad with the doll's head crushed in:

Pepsi responded to the outrage by pulling the ads and issuing this statement: "We would never want to put the sport or the spirit of competition in a negative light. We regret if people were offended by the posts; they were immediately taken down. We would like to extend our apologies to all concerned."

The last one is an excessive take on a traditional voodoo curse:

And in case you missed it, Portugal beat Sweden 3-2. Ronaldo scored all three goals, and the victory knocked Sweden out of the playoffs.

SEE ALSO: Home Depot Dedicates Twitter Feed To Apologies And Terminates Social Media Agency After Racist Tweet

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Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or, FIFA's award for player of the year, beating out Lionel Messi for the first time since 2008.

He was clearly moved by the achievement. He broke down crying during his acceptance speech after mentioning his family and his girlfriend, model Irina Shayk.

Here's the full video (more below):

Here's his speech:

"There are no words to describe this moment. I want to talk all my colleagues and companions at Real Madrid, the Portuguese team, and my family, who is here today. Those of you who know me know that many people help me, my manager, our president, many people here. And I don't want to forget to mention Eusebio. My girlfriend, who is with us today, and my son."

Irina in the crowd:

His son was great:

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Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or today, taking home the player of the year title for the second time.

He scored 69 goals and notched 17 assists in all competitions last year. A YouTube user made a compilation of all the goals, and it's pretty spectacular.

Give it a watch, and you'll understand why he's the world's best right now:

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Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo showed once again what a lethal combination they can be as Real Madrid of Spain's La Liga manhandled FC Shalke of the German Bundesliga 6-1 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.

With Real Madrid already leading 1-0 in the 21st minute, Bale showed some nifty misdirection and dribbling, beating two defenders and then rifling a shot past the keeper and off the post.

In the 52nd minute, Ronaldo showed some of his own fancy footwork, taking a long pass and then dancing around the ball before easily blowing past the defender. He then launched a shot to the far corner that the keeper never had a chance to stop.

Both players scored second goals later in the game. Here is Ronaldo's celebration after his second goal.

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Erik Ortiz Cruz is a 10-month-old boy from Villaluenga de la Sagra, Spain who was born with a brain disorder called cortical dysplasia.

His family and friends have been raising money to pay for a surgery that costs $83,000. When they asked Cristiano Ronaldo to donate a pair of cleats and a jersey to auction off, the Real Madrid star decided to go ahead and cover the entire surgery, AS reports.

Ronaldo makes about $461,000 a week after taxes, so the expense isn't all that much for him. But it's still a remarkable gesture from a guy who has a reputation for being a big of a prima donna.

Erik:

Here's a picture of Erik with the signed stuff Cristiano has sent him, apart from getting in charge of his surgery. pic.twitter.com/g3U5N3024D

— Leyla Hamed (@leylahamed) March 11, 2014

(h/t Dirty Tackle)

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