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Cristiano Ronaldo caused controversy at the Serie A awards night - by reportedly staying in his car until he was announced as the winner of the MVP award.

Ronaldo was nominated for the Ballon d'Or but snubbed the ceremony in Paris, where Lionel Messi moved one ahead of his rival by picking up the award for a record sixth time.

Earlier in the day, Juventus ace Ronaldo had taken to Instagram to post a picture of himself relaxing in Lisbon, while in the evening he was in Milan for Serie A's Gala del Calcio, where he was honoured with the best forward and MVP awards.

But the 34-year-old only made a brief appearance at the ceremony - oddly being held on the same night as the Ballon d'Or gala.

And according to one journalist who was at the awards night, when Ronaldo did eventually emerge from his car his bodyguards pointed torches at cameras in an apparent bid to stop them getting shots of the Portuguese ace.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

BeIN sports correspondent and former Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Tancredi Palmeri tweeted: "UNBELIEVABLE! Cristiano Ronaldo waited in his car for the moment in which he had to be awarded MVP Serie A award! Then when the time came, he finally get out to enter the theatre, while his bodyguards pointed torchlights to cameras!"

Twitter users found the revelation hilarious, with one suggesting Ronaldo had been "crying in his car" after losing out to Messi in the Ballon d'Or vote.

Another said his MVP award "is 'made' to forget his loss in Paris."

And another joked: "Ronaldo having a meltdown is really turning me on!"

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ronaldo finished third in this year's Ballon d'Or vote, behind Messi and second-placed Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.