An African star, who previously snubbed Manchester United in favour of a move to Qatar, has revealed who he thinks is more deserving of the 2019 Ballon d'Or award between superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Real Madrid star and 2018 FIFA World Cup runner-up Luka Modric ended Messi and Ronaldo's stranglehold of the award in 2018, becoming the first player other than the Argentine or the Portuguese since 2007 to win the title of the world's best footballer.
Former Juventus star and Al Duhail defender Medhi Benatia has weighed in on the matter, explaining why Ronaldo should be awarded his sixth Ballon d'Or title ahead of arch-rival Messi.
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"Ronaldo? He deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, according to me," the Morocco national team captain told Calciomercato.
"We first have to wait and see who wins the UCL. Messi? He had an incredible season. He would deserve it too but with Liverpool beating Barcelona, I think this reduced his chances."
Messi is currently the leading goalscorer across Europe's top five leagues, and has scored a total of 48 goals in 48 games across all competitions this season, while Ronaldo has managed 28 goals in 42 appearances in his maiden campaign with Juve.