Cristiano Ronaldo: "If Cristiano Ronaldo said I’m the best, then I am" - Real Madrid star on Portugal superstar's stance on Ballon d'Or snub

Real Madrid talisman Vinicius Jr has responded to Cristiano Ronaldo’s claim that he was more deserving of the 2024 Ballon d’Or award. Ronaldo recently said at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards gala that Vini deserved to win the individual prize ahead of eventual winner Rodri.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony sparked a lot of controversy as Manchester City’s Rodri pipped Vini in a late twist to win the coveted award. The Real Madrid winger has been the frontrunner in the race for the Ballon d’Or, but reports emerged a few hours before the gala that he won’t win the award.

After Rodri was named the winner, a lot of people, especially Real Madrid and Brazil players, opined that Vini should have won the award.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest player to give his two cents on the Ballon d’Or result. He said Vini losing the award was unfair and that he should have won it because he won the Champions League and scored in the final. In response, Vinicius concurred with Ronaldo’s claim and said he is the best if the Portuguese icon says he is.

''Cristiano Ronaldo’s words about the Ballon d’Or? If Cristiano said I’m the best, then I am.”

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Since losing the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Vinicius has won two individual awards. He won the Best Men’s Player award for 2024 at the FIFA The Best Awards a few days ago and also won the Globe Soccer’s Best Men’s Player award for 2024.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr reacts after winning Best Men’s Player at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards

After being named the Best Men’s Player at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards, Vinicius took to his Instagram to react to the honor. The 24-year-old thanked his Real Madrid and national team teammates in a post on his IG account.

He wrote:

''It's not easy to get here. I gave up a lot of things in pursuit of my dreams and one main goal: to make my people proud. Receiving such an important award concludes a wonderful year for me. It's been five titles with Real Madrid and the individual recognition from Globe Soccer shows I'm on the right track. Thanks to Real Madrid, Flamengo and the Brazilian national team for allowing me to realize my dream of playing football. And of course to all my club mates. BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD 🏆7️⃣ ‘’

Vinicius Jr is currently the second most valuable player in the world with a market value of €200 million, as per Transfermarkt.

About the author

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer