Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made a bold claim last week, when he said in a TV show, his fierce competitor Barcelona’s Lionel Messi will win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award next year.
The Portuguese, who has become Real Madrid’s all time leading goal scorer, remains a strong favourite to win the Golden Ball award. The award is given to an individual who has scored the most number of goals during a football season for both club and country.
Ronaldo feels the competition for the Golden Ball award is strong this time, and says several ‘great’ strikers in the world are capable of winning it.
He includes the likes of Neymar and Luis Suarez in the list, while Bayern’s prolific goal scorer Robert Lewandowski gets a deserved mention as well.
The three times Ballon d’Or winner also feels Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero are contenders for this award.
“There are many great strikers in Europe, from England, Germany … It can be Rooney (Manchester United), Aguero (Manchester City), Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) and Neymar,” Cristiano Ronaldo told World Soccer via Sport.
“They are many, but I want to defend the prize. Let’s see what happens until the end of the year,” he added.
While there’s no doubt that Rooney is a great striker, but the chances of him winning the Golden Ball is very slim. Rooney has struggled to score goals this season for United, and has come under severe criticisms at times from the fans and the press.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s future continues to be the hot subject of discussion in the media. David Ginola, the former PSG player, has become the latest high profile personality to comment on Ronaldo’s future, saying he is convinced that the Real Madrid striker will join PSG in future.
Premier League club Chelsea are also reportedly interested in signing Ronaldo. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly planning to dish out €100m for his signature next summer.
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