Cristiano Ronaldo Says Ballon d’Or Should Go to a Champions League Winner
Cristiano Ronaldo believes that the Ballon d’Or should be awarded to a player who has won trophies, especially the Champions League.
Speaking ahead of Portugal’s Nations League final against Spain in Munich, the 40-year-old forward shared his thoughts on how the award should be decided.
“In my opinion, the Ballon d’Or should go to a player whose team won something big, like the Champions League,” Ronaldo told reporters on Saturday.
The Ballon d’Or, first given out in 1956 by France Football, is awarded to the best footballer of the season.
After Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final last weekend, many fans and experts have tipped Ousmane Dembele for the award.
But 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who impressed in Spain’s 5-4 win over France in the Nations League semi-final, is also in the conversation. If Yamal wins, he would be the youngest Ballon d’Or winner in history.
France coach Didier Deschamps and captain Kylian Mbappe have both thrown their support behind Dembele.
“Based on the season he’s had, Ousmane deserves it,” Deschamps said.
Mbappe added,
“Right now people are talking about Yamal and Dembele, but I would vote for Dembele.”
Ronaldo, who has won the Ballon d’Or five times, said he is not sure who deserves the award this year.
“I can’t say who deserves it,” he admitted.
Only Lionel Messi, with eight wins, has more Ballon d’Or trophies than Ronaldo. The two superstars dominated the award from 2008 to 2017.
The current holder of the Ballon d’Or is Rodri, the Spanish and Manchester City midfielder.
