“He stole it from me” - Ex-Real Madrid star makes feelings clear about Ronaldo Nazario winning 2002 Ballon d'Or
Former Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos has made his feelings clear about his compatriot Ronaldo Nazario winning the 2002 Ballon d'Or award. Notably, the striker was the first Brazilian to win the award in 1997 and he clinched it again in 2002.
His win was mainly due to his impressive performance for Brazil in the FIFA World Cup that year. He led the Selecao to beat Germany in the final and lift the trophy. However, Roberto Carlos was also a strong contender for the award, with the left-back finishing second in the rankings, and German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn finished third.
Meanwhile, Carlos had an excellent year himself at club and country level. With Real Madrid, he played 53 games across competitions, scoring six goals and giving 11 assists. Two of the assists came in the triumphant UEFA Champions League final 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen.
Carlos spoke about the award in a recent interview with French publication L'Equipe, opening up about missing out on the Ballon d'Or. He said (via Tribuna):
"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."
Notably, Nazario scored a brace in Brazil's 2-0 win over Die Mannschaft. Roberto Carlos went on to admit:
"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."
Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos have shared the pitch 278 times, participating for 19 goals together. It included five seasons together with Real Madrid, where they won three trophies, including the LaLiga title in the 2002-03 season.
Ronaldo Nazario speaks about 2024 Ballon d'Or
Ronaldo Nazario has spoken about the 2024 Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. It was a controversial decision, with many expecting Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior to win the award.
When Los Blancos learned that the Brazilian would not be awarded the coveted trophy, they opted to boycott the ceremony. Sharing his view on the situation, the former Real Madrid striker revealed that Vinicius had been his choice, saying (via Football Espana):
“Without detracting from Rodri, Vinicius had to win the Ballon d’Or, which has missed a great opportunity to crown Vinicius as the best in the world. It has nothing to do with Rodri, let it be clear, but Vinicius has been much more decisive last season."
He added:
“What am I going to say if the real Ballon d’Or winner is Florentino Perez, he is a father to me. He taught me a lot and gave me everything in the world of football.”
Ronaldo Nazario is currently the majority shareholder, owner, and president of LaLiga club Real Valladolid.