"He made me look like a liar in front of millions": how did Ronaldo embarrass the former Ballon d'Or official? | Goal.com
Pascal Ferré, the former director of "France Football" magazine, has lifted the lid on a number of fascinating behind-the-scenes details surrounding the Ballon d'Or, recalling the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ferré joined the editorial board of "France Football" in 1986 and became director in 1996. He held the role until 2023, which placed him close to the award and the controversy that trailed it over the years, especially during the historic duel between Messi and Ronaldo.
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper "Marca", Ferré reflected on the pair's grip on the award between 2008 and 2017. "They monopolised the award because they were the best in the world. They were players from another planet," he said.
The former director then turned to his public spat with Ronaldo over comments he made to the media. "I did an interview with the New York Times, and in it I said that Cristiano's dream was to win more Ballon d'Or awards than Messi," he explained.
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He added, as reported by the Portuguese newspaper "A Bola": "Maybe I didn't express myself very well, but it was no secret that he is an extremely competitive player. He replied to me on social media, and in the end he made me look like a liar in front of millions of followers, but it was not serious."
Ronaldo lifted the Ballon d'Or five times, compared to eight for Messi.
Ferré also addressed the influence that clubs and players wielded around the award, singling out Real Madrid. "It is true that in Cristiano's world, and Real Madrid specifically, they knew what they had to do within the rules of the game," he said.
He went on: "These are institutions that impose their presence in football and in this award, because Real Madrid has been associated with the Ballon d'Or from the beginning, with Di Stéfano and then Kopa, while Barcelona had to wait until 1960 to win it through Luis Suárez. So there is a special relationship between the award and the Spanish clubs."
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