On the eve of the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony, at which Lionel Messi collected a record-breaking fourth consecutive title of best player in the world, fellow candidate Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to criticize Messi for his humble public demeanor.

"Too much humility is a defect,” the Real Madrid forward said. "People either love me or hate me. Not even God is capable of pleasing everyone. This is part of my journey, part of my personality. I will try to make it so that the majority of people like me."

Messi, who scored a world record 91 goals in 2012 for FC Barcelona and Argentina, is the odds-on favorite to win tonight’s award. His Barca teammate Andres Iniesta was the other nominee.