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Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed his choice for the 2021 Ballon d'Or. The Scottish manager has unsurprisingly backed Cristiano Ronaldo for the accolade, owing to the Portuguese's stellar displays at international level.
Notably, Ronaldo became the leading goalscorer in men's international football this year after surpassing Ali Daei's record of 109 strikes. The 36-year-old has now scored 115 goals in 182 appearances for Portugal. As such, Sir Alex Ferguson firmly believes that the Manchester United forward thoroughly deserves to win the Ballon d'Or in 2021.
In the wake of the announcement of the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or this year, Sir Alex Ferguson was quoted as saying by MARCA:
"Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the Ballon d'Or. This year he has broken record after record."
Earlier, Sir Alex Ferguson played a crucial role in Cristiano Ronaldo securing a blockbuster return to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window. The former Manchester United manager is believed to have pulled some strings behind the scenes in terms of convincing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to return to familiar surroundings.
Since returning to the club, Ronaldo has been excellent for the Red Devils. The 36-year-old has netted five goals in six appearances for the club across competitions. He also scored a hat-trick during the international break when Portugal locked horns with Luxembourg in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or while playing under Sir Alex Ferguson
Without a shadow of a doubt, Sir Alex Ferguson deserves full credit for nurturing a young Ronaldo during his formative years. The Portuguese talent joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 before making a name for himself in England and Europe.
Sir Alex Ferguson benefitted massively from having a generational talent like Ronaldo in his team. The Red Devils were rampant and ended up winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League with Ronaldo on their side.
Riding on the success of an excellent campaign with Manchester United, Ronaldo won his first ever Ballon d'Or in 2008. Although he left the club for Real Madrid in 2009, it really stands out as a turning point in his career. Since then, Ronaldo has added four more Ballon d'Or awards to his trophy cabinet.
However, speaking exclusively about the 2021 edition of the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldo only has an outside chance of winning it. The likes of Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho are all widely considered to be in front in the race for the award.
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