Ronaldo's Crazy Messi Bet Revealed?

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has closed in on his longstanding rival Lionel Messi in the Pichichi race. Could it be that a crazy bet with his teammates is the reason behind his improved form?

Click through the mini-gallery above to see the top goalscorers in LaLiga so far this season.

The Portuguese has been in red-hot form in 2018, having already scored 18 goals in the Spanish top flight since the turn of the year.

Ronaldo added four strikes in his side's 6-3 win over Girona on Sunday, and is now closing in on Messi in the race for the top goalscorer in Spain's top flight. The 33-year-old has now scored 22 goals in LaLiga this season, and sits just three strikes behind Messi in the Pichichi ranking.

This remarkable turnaround did not seem possible in the first half of the season, when Ronaldo experienced one of his trickiest starts to a new campaign in his career.

After missing the first four league games due to a suspension he picked up in the Spanish Super Cup, Ronaldo scored just one goal until matchday 13, and Radio Marca has now suggested that he entered into a crazy bet with his teammates on 7 November.

At the time, Ronaldo was sitting on just one goal in LaLiga, and 11 behind Messi, who had already scored 12 times at that stage. According to Radio Marca, Ronaldo made a bet with his teammates that he would still win the Pichichi race despite the massive gap between him and his Argentine rival.

Since the bet was said to have been made, Ronaldo has scored 21 goals in Spain's top flight, while Messi has notched 13 over the same period.

Read: Ronaldo Extends LaLiga Record Over Messi

There are nine games left in the Spanish league, and if Ronaldo continues to score at his current rate – he has scored 18 LaLiga goals in his past nine appearances – he could still overtake Messi and win his crazy bet.

Do you think Ronaldo can still beat Messi in the Pichichi race this season? Have your say in the comments section below.