Jose Mourinho directly pointed out the year Ronaldo 'unjustly lost' the Ballon d'Or to Messi

Coach Jose Mourinho stated that Cristiano Ronaldo was more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than Lionel Messi in one year.

Speaking to the media a few days before the award ceremony Ballon d'Or In 2012, Coach Jose Mourinho supported Cristiano Ronaldo for this award and said it would be a “crime” if Ronaldo did not win. He praised the Portuguese superstar for his quick adaptation to the harshness of La Liga.

Specifically, Mourinho shared: “It would be a crime if Cristiano did not win the 2012 Ballon d'Or. And I have always said that becoming Cristiano is harder than becoming Lionel Messi. Let me explain: Messi grew up in the very club he currently plays for, with his current teammates. Cristiano came from England to join a team that was struggling. He had to mature over the past two years within a team that was still being built.”

Mourinho continued by saying Ronaldo played as a winger in his system, while Messi acted as a striker, ready to score inside the box.

He said: “One is a striker; the other is a winger. Messi is about 50 meters closer to goal and has fewer defensive duties. How can a winger score as many goals as a striker? This winger defends well, and can finish the match in the 94th minute by sprinting to stop Pedro in a situation where the opponent had a scoring chance.

This is a player who, during set pieces, drops back to defense about 20 times. He is crucial in the defensive system. This player is not protected by anyone or anything. That is much, much harder.”

Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role in helping Real Madrid win the La Liga title in the 2011/12 season, while Lionel Messi’s Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, FIFA Club World Cup (now FIFA Intercontinental Cup), and the UEFA Super Cup.

The Ballon d'Or award at that time was based on performance during the calendar year, and Lionel Messi defeated Cristiano Ronaldo to claim the 2012 prize. The Barcelona star had an explosive year scoring a record 91 goals for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Meanwhile, Ronaldo scored 40 goals in La Liga in 2012, behind Messi’s 59 goals. He also helped Portugal reach the semifinals of Euro 2012.

However, Messi won the Ballon d'Or with 41.6% of the votes, while Ronaldo finished second with 23.68%. Andres Iniesta ranked third with 10.91% of the votes.