Agent Jorge Mendes believes Cristiano Ronaldo would have won the Ballon d’Or if he stayed at Real Madrid.
The Mendes comments came in the wake of Barcelona star Lionel Messi has being crowned as the winner of the award for the world's best player for a record sixth time, with the super-agent – who represents Ronaldo – claiming that this title was ‘unjust’.
Ronaldo, 34, was not in attendance for the award ceremony in Paris earlier this month despite him finishing third on the podium – with Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk ranked second.
“Cristiano is the best player in world football. Before him Portugal won nothing, and with him they’ve won the European Championship and the UEFA Nations League,” Mendes is cited as saying by Marca.
“He transformed world football. when you speak of Portugal, you speak of a small country, but he’s changed that.
“Next year I think he will reach 110 goals for Portugal and I believe he will win the Ballon d’Or.
“For me it was an injustice that Messi won. Ronaldo also won the UEFA Nations League. But life is like that.
“I think that if he was still at Real Madrid, he would’ve won.
“He’s a champion, and he knows what to do in order to win it in 2020.”
Ronaldo indeed did secure the award for being best player in Italy thanks to his 21-goal contribution and Scudetto success with Juventus last season – his first campaign with the Bianconeri.
The Portugal superstar won four of his five Ballon d’Or gongs between 2013 and 2017 – when he won each year except for 2015, when he was pipped by long-term rival Messi.
