Roberto Carlos, the iconic former Real Madrid and Brazil defender, has made an interesting revelation, claiming that his former teammate Ronaldo Nazario "stole" the 2002 Ballon d’Or from him.
While Ronaldo won the prestigious award for the second time in 2002, many attribute the victory to his extraordinary performance during the FIFA World Cup, where he played a pivotal role in Brazil's triumph, scoring eight goals, including two in the final against Germany.
Ronaldo’s World Cup heroics overshadowed the contributions of others, including Roberto Carlos, who also had an incredible year. Carlos was instrumental both for Brazil and Real Madrid, contributing to Brazil's World Cup win and Real Madrid's Champions League victory 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.”
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