Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, has named six players he believes deserved the prestigious award but never claimed it. The Brazilian legend, known for his time at clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, shared his thoughts on those who he feels should have been recognized with the Ballon d’Or during their careers.
Ronaldo, who won his first Ballon d’Or in 1997 with Inter Milan and his second in 2002 at Real Madrid, has always been an admirer of certain footballing greats. He himself was a part of some of the most iconic football teams, including the Galacticos at Real Madrid, and enjoyed a distinguished international career with Brazil, winning two World Cups (1994 and 2002).
In a recent interview with Cadena Ser, Ronaldo named Italian legends Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti, along with AC Milan’s legendary defender Paolo Maldini, as players who deserved the Ballon d’Or but never won it. He also mentioned his former Real Madrid teammates Roberto Carlos and Raul Gonzalez as deserving candidates, noting that Roberto Carlos finished behind him in Ballon d’Or voting twice.
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Ronaldo also included recently retired Spain and Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta in his list of players who should have won the Ballon d’Or. “Iniesta deserved a Ballon d’Or, but he doesn’t need it. He already has an incredible list of trophies and a great career. He is the best Spanish player of all time. I thank him for his quality, his football, and his generosity,” Ronaldo said.
These six players—Del Piero, Totti, Maldini, Raul, Roberto Carlos, and Iniesta—are all legends of the game who, according to Ronaldo, came close to the Ballon d’Or but ultimately never received the recognition they deserved.