Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his belief that Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior deserved to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award over Manchester City’s Rodri.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards on Friday, Ronaldo stated that Vinícius’s contributions, including winning the Champions League and scoring in the final, made him the rightful recipient of the prestigious prize.
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“In my opinion, he [Vinícius] deserved to win the golden ball [Ballon d’Or award],” Ronaldo said. “It was unfair in my opinion. I say here in front of everybody. They give it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.”
Vinícius, who, along with his Real Madrid teammates, boycotted the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris hosted by France Football, was later awarded FIFA’s The Best men’s player award and also won Globe Soccer’s Best Men’s Player prize on Friday. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí claimed the women’s player of the year title.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, also criticized France Football magazine, saying, “You know these galas, they always do the same thing.”
The Portuguese star, who was named Globe Soccer’s Best Middle East Player of 2024, praised the organization for its recognition.
Since joining his current club in January 2023 after leaving Manchester United, Ronaldo has scored an impressive 74 goals in 83 appearances.
Reflecting on his former club, Ronaldo suggested that Manchester United’s struggles are rooted in deeper structural problems.
“The problem of Manchester United is the same,” he said. “The problem is not always the coach. It’s much more than that. If you have the fish inside and he’s sick and you take him out and you fix the problem and you put him again in an aquarium you will be sick again.”
