Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
With the award coming early in the new year, much debate is going on in the media as to who should win. The favourites for the prize are Lionel Messi, who has won the award for the last four years running, Franck Ribery, who helped Bayern Munich lift the historic treble last season, and Ronaldo.
The Portuguese has started the season in fine form, and has netted 16 times in 13 La Liga games already. In the calendar year, he has scored 62 goals for club and country.
Speaking to Voetball Primeur, Robert Carlos, who has forged a successful coaching career in Turkey with Sivasspor, said the 28-year-old Ronaldo deserved to win the award this year for his goalscoring exploits.
“Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the Ballon d’Or,” he said, before adding “And I think he is finally going to win. Ronaldo shows himself to be a huge goal machine, it is unbelievable. He deserves to win this year and I think he will.”
Roberto Carlos spent 11 years at the Santiago Bernabeu, playing 512 games and scoring 66 goals. In his time at the club he won La Liga on four occasions, and the Champions League three times. He also lifted the Spanish Supercopa three times, the Intercontinental Cup twice and the UEFA Super Cup once.
