I did not have that — Balotelli explains why he could not reach Cristiano Ronaldo's level

Ex-Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli has shed some light on his career, explaining his shortcomings and failure to hit the ultimate heights.

The former Italy striker recently got candid about why he never reached the heights of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking to Rai2, the 34-year-old admitted that his work ethic just doesn’t match the Portuguese legend’s relentless drive.

“He [Ronaldo] kills himself with training, I don’t… He has more money!” Balotelli said with a laugh, as quoted by Goal.

“I could have done more, but I’m happy.”

Balotelli burst onto the scene as a teenage prodigy, tipped for greatness, but many fans feel he never fully lived up to his potential. His career’s been a wild ride, with stints at top clubs like Inter Milan, AC Milan, Manchester City, Liverpool, Marseille, Nice, Monza, and Adana Demirspor.

Now playing for Genoa in Serie A, his contract’s up this summer, and he’s already looking ahead. “It’s unlikely that I will play again in Italy or Europe,” he said. “I will play for two or three years before I stop.”

So, where’s he headed next? The United States. “Yes, America. I will play two or three years before I stop,” Balotelli shared, confirming his plan to join Major League Soccer (MLS) after his Genoa stint.