Rio Ferdinand suggests that a legendary former player, if not for injuries, could have clinched more Ballon d’Or awards than Cristiano Ronaldo, his former Manchester United teammate.
Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the Ballon d’Or for a decade until Luka Modric secured the award in 2018.
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Ronaldo, currently the captain of Al Nassr, has won the prestigious prize five times, with his initial victory occurring in 2008 during his first stint at Old Trafford.
At one point, the 38-year-old Portuguese forward was level with Messi at five Ballon d’Or victories each until the Inter Miami superstar claimed his sixth award in 2019.
Barcelona legend Messi now stands as the sole record holder for the most Ballon d’Or awards, securing the prestigious trophy for an unprecedented eighth time in 2023.
Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten have each earned the award three times, while figures such as Franz Beckenbauer and Alfredo Di Stefano have won it twice.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo secured the Ballon d’Or twice in 1997 and 2002, earning widespread recognition as one of the greatest strikers in history.
Rio Ferdinand, having witnessed firsthand the extraordinary talent of the two-time World Cup winner, remembers Ronaldo’s iconic hat-trick against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2003.
Playing for Real Madrid at the time, Ronaldo received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd following his remarkable Champions League performance against United.
Reflecting on Ronaldo, Ferdinand shared his experience of facing him and asserted that the former Brazil striker could have amassed six Ballon d’Ors if not for injuries.
“If he doesn’t get injured, he probably gets six,” he said on his YouTube channel.
Ferdinand added: “It was me on my own. Just me against Ronaldo. Two of the goals, I will die saying this, [Fabien] Barthez should have saved.
“Mate, the ball bounced before it hit the net. I come out of the screen but I don’t know where I’ve come from.
“One of the times I shuffled over, I got over, and my position was like I would take the same position again and say if you score from here, it’s a miracle. He [Ronaldo] beats me at the near post.
“R9 – I’ve got to say, that was injuries after operations after operations – is the only player that I have played against, and before the game, I’ve been going in my bed, the night before, s**t,” said Ferdinand.”
Ferdinand, in a special edition of his VIBE with FIVE show during the recent Best FIFA Football Awards in London, elevated Brazilian Ronaldo to the same tier as Messi and Ronaldo.
The 45-year-old Manchester United legend, presented with a tier list of the best players, argued that Ronaldo belonged in tier one, alongside the likes of Messi, Maradona, Pele, and Zinedine Zidane, despite initially being placed in tier two.
“He’s the best. He’s the best striker’s best striker,” he said.
“Yeah, he’s on table one. R9 is on table one.”
