Cristiano Ronaldo's mum copies Lionel Messi's gift to the Pope - and snubs Man Utd

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, passed over Manchester United as she gave Pope Francis a present similar to the one he received from Lionel Messi last year

Cristiano Ronaldo's mother has followed in Lionel Messi's footsteps by presenting Pope Francis with a footballing gift - but she opted for a Portugal shirt rather than a Manchester United one.

Dolores Aveiro travelled to the Vatican and met with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday.

The Pope holds a General Audience each week during which he greets members of the public and delivers a message to those who have come to see him.

Aveiro, who gave birth to Ronaldo on the Portuguese island of Madeira in 1985, said she was "ready to receive the Pope's blessing" in an Instagram post ahead of her trip to the city-state.

The 67-year-old also had an offering for her spiritual leader, presenting him with a Portugal shirt bearing her son's name and iconic number 7.

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Aveiro posted a picture of the touching meeting showing Pope Francis reaching out to accept her gift and wrote: "A very unique emotion, thank you."

Her kind gesture comes a matter of months after Messi, Ronaldo's long-term rival at the pinnacle of European football, sent the Pope a signed shirt.

Unlike his Portuguese rival, the Paris Saint-Germain forward had his club jersey framed and French Prime Minister Jean Castex unveiled the gift during a diplomatic visit to the Vatican last October.

Pope Francis had a beaming smile on his face as he noticed a signed message from the former Barcelona star.

The 85-year-old, who has been in office since 2013, may also hope to get his hands on an Argentina shirt from Messi, as the pair are compatriots.

Pope Francis was born in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires and he grew up supporting local club San Lorenzo. He even greeted the squad in 2014 after they won the Copa Libertadores - South America's greatest honour - for the first time in their history.

Messi has met the Pope twice and the latter has even hailed him as better than legendary duo Diego Maradona and Pele.

He has also declared the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is "very good" but stressed he "is not God".

Messi is showing signs of hitting a rich vein of form for PSG having joined on a free transfer last summer. Fans will soon have the pleasure of watching him on the European stage as the French club take on Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16, with the first leg scheduled for Tuesday.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, is United's top scorer this season with 14 goals, but he is in the midst of a barren run of five games without finding the back of the net.