Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo was deprived of winning a Ballon d’Or in his career and that it was in 2018 when Real Madrid midfielder and Croatian national team captain Luka Modric was named the best in the world. According to him, then an injustice was done and the Portuguese was robbed of a great recognition.
The famous former English footballer was answering a question about the Ballon d’Or and comparisons between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, great rivals and a duo that many claim should be called the best in the world.
Asked who has the most Golden Balls, Ferdinand surprised with his answer: “Messi. Seven to five. “Ronaldo was stolen the year Modric won.”
In 2018, Modric ended the reign of Messi and Ronaldo
Before winning the Ballon d’Or and ending the ten-year dominance of Messi and Rolando, who alternated as his conquerors, Modric was named the best player of the World Cup, UEFA named him the best footballer in Europe and FIFA the best in the world.
In 2018, he won several titles with Real, including the Champions League. This was his fourth such trophy. He also became world runner-up with Croatia.
In 2018, Modric received 753 points in the Ballon d’Or voting. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was his teammate at Real that season and scored 44 goals and eight assists in 44 games, finished second in the voting with 478 points.