Former Real Madrid defender, Roberto Carlos, has said that his former club and international teammate, Ronaldo Nazario, stole the 2002 Ballon d’Or award from him.
Ronaldo, regarded widely as one of the best strikers in football history, was the first Brazilian to win the award in 1997 and he clinched it again in 2002.
Many believe the 2022 award was handed out to Ronaldo mainly due to his impressive performance for Brazil in the FIFA World Cup that year.
The former Real Madrid man helped his country beat Germany in the final and lift the trophy.
However, Carlos, who was also a member of the Brazilian squad for the tournament and a top performer, was a contender for the award.
The left-back came second behind Ronaldo in the rankings, and German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn finished third.
Carlos spoke about the award in a recent interview with French publication L’Equipe, “I always tell Ronaldo that that Ballon d’Or was mine, and he stole it from me.
“I heard that I was the favorite before the World Cup final. So, I lost the award in 90 minutes.
“But when you think about it, for a defender to finish second in the Ballon d’Or voting is something incredible. Only Beckenbauer, Sammer, and Cannavaro have won it as defenders. So, second place is a great source of pride.”
