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Jorge Mendes Says Cristiano Ronaldo Would Have Won Ballon d'Or at Real Madrid
December 17, 2019
Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, has said his client would have won a sixth Ballon d'Or had he stayed at Real Madrid but suggested he could retire at Juventus.
Ronaldo moved to Juve in 2018, and that year's Ballon d'Or was subsequently won by former Madrid team-mate Luka Modric, while Barcelona's Lionel Messi claimed the 2019 award earlier in December, moving him one clear of Ronaldo's five.
Mendes said:
"Cristiano deserved to win the Ballon d'Or at least once in the last two years. If he had played at Real Madrid, he would have won it, but next year I think he can win it again.
"For me it is an injustice [that Cristiano hasn't won the Ballon d'Or]. He won the Nations League and he is a champion.
"But he knows what he should do, and then we will see what happens in 2020."
The agent added that Ronaldo "is the best player in the history of world football."
After Messi's victory on December 2, ABC (h/t Sky Sports) reported Ronaldo expressed a similar belief to his team-mates that both the 2018 and 2019 awards would have gone his way had he not swapped Madrid for Turin.
Ronaldo finished third in the voting this year:
It's not a position he is accustomed to finishing in:
The 34-year-old won Serie A with Juventus last season and then the UEFA Nations League with Portugal.
As of December 2, he had notched 34 goals for club and country in 2019, as well as five assists.
His form for Juventus has come in fits and starts this year, though, whereas Messi has been consistently strong throughout. While the Ballon d'Or isn't just about numbers, the Argentinian had produced 46 goals and 18 assists for club and country this year on the day he was given the award.
Ronaldo perhaps wouldn't have been a deserved winner last year, either:
After a poor start to this season for Maurizio Sarri's Juve, his domestic form has improved in recent weeks so he looks set to end 2019 on a high:
Ronaldo's deal with the Bianconeri runs until 2022. Asked if he might see out his career in Turin, Mendes told Calciomercato.com (h/t Football Italia): "Yes, he could do that. He has signed a contract. He is happy at Juventus, working under a great coach."
The Portuguese forward will be 37 by the time that contract expires.
He's still capable of making an impact at the top level, but because of his advancing years and the decline that comes with it, his chances of equalling Messi on six Ballons d'Or likely hinge on delivering the UEFA Champions League next year or UEFA Euro 2020.