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What's the story?
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed that he feels he should've won the award for a record sixth time this year, in an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport and the Corriere Dello Sport.
When asked how he feels about finishing second behind his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric, he said that he had done everything on the field to win and that his stats made him a deserving contender for the award.
He further added that because he works very hard on the pitch, he deserves the accolade every year. He vowed to work even harder in the coming year and said that he hopes to see Modric at the event next year too.
In case you didn't know...
Luka Modric became the first player in a decade to claim the prestigious award ahead of Ronaldo and Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi, following an outstanding year of football with club and country.
He claimed the prize on the back of a third successive Champions League title with Los Blancos and a maiden World Cup final appearance with Croatia.
Ronaldo, who was also part of Madrid's Champions League winning squad, ended up being the competition's top scorer last season. He's been prolific in front of goal and has scored 45 goals in 48 games for club and country in the calendar year.
The heart of the matter...
Ronaldo has settled well in Italy with Juventus and is their current top scorer across all competitions. Following the club's victory in the Derby d'Italia on Saturday, the Portuguese superstar spoke to the Italian media, where he was asked the inescapable question on his Ballon d'Or snub, to which he replied: (via MARCA)
"I think I deserve it every year. I work for that, but if I don't win it's not the end of the world. I respect the decision."
"On the field, I have done everything to win, the numbers don't lie, but don't think that I'm less happy if I don't win."
He said that though he was disappointed by the outcome, he knows he has to work even harder if he is to have any chance of winning the prize next year. He added:
"I have great friends and a family, I play for one of the best clubs, you think I go home and start crying? Of course I'm disappointed, but life goes on and I will work even harder."
"Anyway, congratulations to Modric, he deserves it, but next year we'll see each other again and I'll do everything to be there again."
What's next?
Ronaldo has hit a rich vein of form with the Old Lady and has already scored 11 goals in 19 games for the club.
With Real Madrid and Juventus both poised to finish as the table toppers of their respective groups in the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo might be up against his former club, with whom he won the competition four times, later in the season.
