Cristiano Ronaldo has slammed Sir Jim Ratcliffe for failing to improve Manchester United's fortunes amid a horrid season on the pitch.

The chemicals tycoon has drawn the ire of the Old Trafford faithful after cutting funding for a charity aimed at helping former players. United previously gave £40,000 a year to the trust, with fears emerging it will fold without the lifeline. Among its 300 members are ­former skipper Bryan Robson, Alex Stepney, Denis Law, Brian Kidd, Arthur Albiston, Frank Stapleton, Denis Irwin and David May.

It follows a series of petty penny-pinching measures by Sir Jim, including ticket price rises and a Christmas do ban. Britain’s richest man who is worth an estimated £23 billion and he also decided in July to make 250 of club staff redundant.

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But former United favourite and Portuguese superstar spoke out while speaking at the Globe Soccer Award in Dubai. Ronaldo was awarded the Best Middle East Player award at the Globe Soccer Awards and was also given a honorary award to celebrate him becoming the highest official goalscorer of all time. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner infamously fell out with Erik ten Hag in his second stint at Old Trafford and left the club in December 2022 after having his contract mutually terminated.

Ronaldo made a number of comments during the awards gala taking on the authenticity of the prize given to the best player in the world and also claiming that the Saudi Pro League was better than Ligue 1. United now 14th in the Premier League after struggling to get back to winning ways under their new coach, Ruben Amorim, Ronaldo refused to point the finger at his compatriot and suggested their problems start at the very top with a bizarre fish analogy.

"I say this one year ago, and I will continue to say it, the problem is not the coach," Ronaldo said at the Globe Soccer Awards. "It's like the aquarius. If you have the fish inside, it's sick, and you take it out, and then you fix the problem, then you put it again in aquarius, they will be sick again. And this is the problem. United is the same. The problem is not only the coach, it's much more than that... 100 per cent [it is still the same]."

When asked if he had been in discussions with the Glazers about buying a stake in the club in the future, Ronaldo indicated he had already considered the idea of helping run United - and vowed to one day become an owner of a 'big club. Ronaldo addded: "If I will be the owner of the club [Manchester United], I will make the things clear and adjust what I think is bad there. I'm still very young, I have so many plans and dreams ahead. Mark my words, [one day] I will be owner of a big club."

Ronaldo's net worth puts him well below British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ronaldo is estimated to be worth £613million ($800m).