The Real Madrid midfielder believes Lionel Messi should not have won the 2021 Ballon d’Or award.
Toni Kroos insists Cristiano Ronaldo has outperformed Lionel Messi in 2021 and should’ve beaten him in the Ballon d’Or.
Despite this verdict, France Football’s voters didn’t see it that way. The final rankings showed Messi in first-place, 435 points above the sixth-placed Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kroos’ Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema, the player he believes should have won the award, ended up in fourth and 374 points behind Messi.
Congrats to Leo Messi!!!
My choice would have been @Benzema!
Why? Listen here: https://t.co/rbN2Y4L6Pw
orhttps://t.co/o34Wdii7OT— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) November 29, 2021
What did Kroos say?
“For me, Karim would have been the number one if you were really looking for the best individual player of the last year, because I can see from close quarters what an outstanding footballer he is,” Kroos told his official podcast Einfach mal Luppen.
“When I see how many decisive goals Cristiano has scored lately – Manchester United are still in the Champions League thanks to him alone – then, in my eyes, Cristiano would have also come before Messi.”
On Messi’s Ballon d’Or win, Kroos added: “It’s absolutely not deserved. There is no doubt that Messi, with Cristiano, has been the player of the last decade, but this year there should have been others ahead of him.”
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