Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has jokingly suggested Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo should have their own separate Ballon d’Or competition, with a secondary award handed out to the best of rest of the world’s players.
Ramos made the suggestion in an interview with American Spanish-language channel TUDN released on Monday
“They could make a Golden Ball only for Cristiano and Messi, depending on the results, and another for the rest. In the end it would be better for football.”
The two have dominated the competition since Ronaldo first won it in 2008, claiming every single title apart from 2018’s.
Messi won his record sixth by narrowly beating out Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk this year, presenting the trophy to the Barcelona fans ahead of the 5-2 win over Mallorca:
Barca’s front three were on 🔥 as they put five past Mallorca… and Luis Suarez got the Puskas Award all wrapped up
He scored a hat-trick in the win, and his tremendous scoring form has him as an early favourite for the 2020 award, per the London Evening Standard’s Ben Hayward:
Messi and Ronaldo have rewritten the record books since becoming superstars, amassing 11 Ballon d’Or wins or second-placed finishes each. No one else in history has won the trophy more than three times.
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Real’s Luka Modric is the lone man to reach the top spot during the duo’s prime, courtesy of Croatia’s run to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final and his role in Los Blancos’ third straight UEFA Champions League title.