Rio Ferdinand, the former Manchester United and England football icon, has contended that Cristiano Ronaldo was unfairly denied the Ballon d’Or in 2018.
Notably, Ronaldo’s name was notably absent from the 30-man list of Ballon d’Or nominees for 2023.
During a conversation with the well-known YouTuber IShowSpeed, Ferdinand asserted that Ronaldo should have been the recipient of the 2018 award, which ultimately went to Croatian midfielder Luka Modric.
When asked about who has won more Ballon d’Or titles between Messi and Ronaldo, Ferdinand indicated Messi’s higher count.
He expressed, “Seven against five. Cristiano Ronaldo was robbed of the Ballon d’Or. It was Modric’s year.”
In 2018, Modric clinched the Ballon d’Or after playing a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s Champions League victory and contributing significantly to Croatia’s second-place finish in the 2018 World Cup.