"Lionel Messi's sixth Ballon d'Or win is an injustice"

"Lionel Messi's sixth Ballon d'Or win is an injustice"

Jorge Mendes, uno de los representantes más poderosos del mundo del deporte
Jorge Mendes, uno de los representantes más poderosos del mundo del deporte | sport

Jorge Mendes has once again been talking up Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese football agent Jorge Mendes feels that Cristiano Ronaldo "deserved at least one of the last two Ballons d'Or" and that he didn't win either because he no longer plays for Real Madrid. 

Mendes claimed that Ronaldo "transformed world football" and said it was an "injustice" the fact the last two editions of the coveted individual prize have ended up in the hands of Luka Modric and Lionel Messi. 

"Cristiano deserved to win at least one Ballon d'Or in the last two years," Mendes said. "If he'd played for Madrid, he would have won one. But I think he can win it again next year.

"For me, it's an injustice. He won the Nations League, he's a champion. But he knows what he has to do and we will see what happens in 2020." 

Ronaldo will turn 35 in February but is still playing at the top level for Juventus and success with his club, coupled with a Euro 2020 win with Portugal next summer, would make him a strong candidate to win the prize for the sixth time next year. 

Messi has already won the Ballon d'Or six times but Mendes feels Ronaldo is the best player to ever play the game, not the Argentine. 

"Cristiano, for me, is the best player in the history of the game," he added. "Before him, Portugal had won nothing. With him, they've won the Euros, the Nations League, in 2004 they made the final of the Euros. He transformed football. When someone speaks about Portugal, they speak about a small country that with Cristiano has changed everything. 

"He joined Madrid in 2009 when Barcelona were the best team in history, with the spine of the Spanish team. Spain were world champions and two-time Euro winners. Cristiano changed everything. He won the Champions League four times. It's impossible to compare a player with Cristiano." 

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