Cristiano Ronaldo ruled on the ‘unfair’ deprivation of the Ballon d’Or from Vinicius Junior
Cristiano Ronaldo claims it is “unfair” to give Rodrigo the Ballon d’Or instead of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior.
Manchester City’s midfield maestro picked up the award earlier this season, sparking considerable controversy as many felt Vinicius was the most deserving winner.
Vinicius was at his best against Rodri to win FIFA Men’s Player of the Year shortly afterwards, before picking up another individual honor as he was named the best player at the Globe Soccer Awards ahead of the Spain midfielder on Friday.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ronaldo admitted Rodri was a deserving winner but insisted Vinicius had a stronger case to win the Ballon d’Or.
“In my opinion, he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or,” Ronaldo said. “That was unfair, in my opinion. I’m saying that here, in front of everyone.
“They gave it to Rodrigo. He deserved it too, but I think they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final. Other questions, for me, are not important. When you deserve [it]you should give it to whoever deserves it. This is why I love Globe Soccer. They give a fair reward.”
Responding to Ronaldo’s comments, Vinicius said: “If Cristiano says I’m the best player, I’ll believe it. It’s a pleasure and an honor to be here with Cristiano and Neymar, my biggest idols.”
Vinicius later took to social media to admit his delight at being recognized as a leading talent in world football.
“It’s not easy to get here,” he wrote. “I gave up a lot in pursuit of my dreams and one main goal: to make my family proud.
Receiving such an important award ends a wonderful year for me. I won five titles with Real Madrid and the individual recognition from Globe Soccer shows that I am on the right track. I thank Real Madrid, Flamengo and the Brazilian national team for allowing me to fulfill my dream of playing football. And, of course, all my teammates.
“THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD.”
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