The sentiments of the France Football editor-in-chief, Pascal Ferré, seem to have infuriated Cristiano Ronaldo to such an extent that he went to his social media account to complain about it. He even went so far as to call Pascal Ferré a liar. The whole saga is about Ballon d’Or awards — Pascal Ferré claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo had told him that his ambition was to win more Ballon d’Or awards than Messi.
“Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d’Or awards than Messi,” he was quoted saying. When asked where he got this information from, the France Football editor claimed that Ronaldo told him.
Kate Richardson, an expert on sports betting sites in Colombia and a sports analyst at mightytips.com, shared some thoughts. She delves deeper to see what may have infuriated Ronaldo. Kate Richardson has been carrying out comprehensive analysis on bookmakers, news sport, sports betting online and commentary on various sporting activities for years.
As one seeks to explore the whole situation, one may ask themselves the following questions:
- What would have made the France Football editor say this?
- Why did Ronaldo react this way?
- Could it be true that Ronaldo would want to beat Messi?
- Who is a greater footballer, Messi or Ronaldo?
To answer these questions and understand the whole saga, let’s first talk about Ballon d’Or awards and why it is a such a big deal.
What is the Ballon d’Or?
Ballon d’Or is a big deal — winning means you are the best footballer of the year. It is what the experts at mightytips.com describe as the most prestigious award in the realm of football. The award could be loosely translated as “golden ball.” It is a yearly football award that is presented by France Football, a French magazine that contains football news from all parts of the world.
The magazine is one of the most reputable news sports publications, not just in Europe, but in the whole world. People love it for its photographic reports and comprehensive coverage, something noted by mightytips.com. The news sports publication is also known for exclusive interviews, accurate reporting and overall credibility.
Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious award for individual football players and has been around for more than 65 years now. The award is associated with Gabriel Hanot, the French footballer and sportswriter who conceived of the Ballon d’Or as an award for the male football player who had performed the best in the previous football season.
Although it was originally meant to honor players from Europe, where it was known as the Euro Footballer of the Year award, since 1995, it has expanded to include players from any part of the world as long as they were active in a European club. This changed again in 2007 when it began to include all of professional football regardless of where the player was active.
Wins by Player
This is what has ushered in the messy football fight between the France Football editor and Ronaldo. One question is: Who has won the award more times? It is none other than Lionel Messi. He has bagged the award seven times. Between 2009 and 2021, he won in the following years: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, and 2021.
Even in the years that he missed the title, he still received second place in 2008, 2013, 2016, and 2017. In 2007, he was in third place. In total, Lionel Messi has either won or been in the running for the Golden Ball 13 times, with seven wins, five times at second place, and one time at third place. Ronaldo on the other hand, has won five times, won second place six times, and third place one time.
Who should we believe, Ronaldo or Pascal Ferré?
In football, it is hard to believe anyone. In this case, many choose to trust neither of the two and analyze it objectively. If Pascal was right, and Ronaldo had told him about his ambition, then he needs to win the award two more times to have won it more times than Messi.
Additionally, since this is just an ambition and nothing official, he can set his own rules and say the total number of awards is what matters — not just first-place finishes. In this case, he only needs to win one more time, which will get him 14 total awards. However, this assumes that Messi himself does not win again. All this seems a bit childish, something which Ronaldo, a great footballer, would probably not participate in; many believe that his focus is only on winning for his team, club and his country.
Ronaldo and Messi are no doubt great footballers; they have proved their worth and do not need to show anyone that they are great. With or without the Golden Ball, the two players have inspired many.
