Not everyone was on the same page as France Football when the French outlet awarded Lionel Messi a seventh Ballon d’Or in November.
A lot of fans said Robert Lewandowski should’ve won. Some felt Mohamed Salah deserved better than seventh in the rankings. Others couldn’t get their head around Cristiano Ronaldo being down in sixth – his lowest finish since 2010 – after another record-breaking year.
But in Ronaldo’s case at least, this isn’t the first time he has lost the Ballon d’Or for questionable reasons.
Was CR7 robbed in 2012?
In a Twitter video found by GIVEMESPORT, a CR7 fan shed light on why Messi robbed the Portuguese ace of a then-second Ballon d’Or in 2012.
The two-part video below shows Jose Mourinho explaining how Messi had it easier than Ronaldo in 2012. Footage also showed the more advantageous positions the Argentine was in on route to a record 91 goals that year.
“Messi grew up in the team he plays, with the teammates he plays with,” said the former Real Madrid boss. “Cristiano came from England to a team that was losing. He had to grow in the past 2 years with this team in construction.”
He added: “One [Messi] plays as a [number] nine and roams around in those 50 square meters where the distance to goal is smaller and defense less intense.”
“The other [Ronaldo] plays as a winger. How does a winger score as many goals as a No 9?”
Ronaldo robbed of Ballon D’Or 2012. [PART 2] pic.twitter.com/N8GJTmS1Fu
— Diego (@ronaldocomps) August 26, 2019
Ronaldo vs Messi stats in 2012
Club and Country
PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsMessi699122Ronaldo716313
Clubs – Barcelona & Real Madrid
PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsMessi607921Ronaldo585811
Country – Argentina & Portugal
PlayerGamesGoalsAssistsMessi9121Ronaldo1352