Pascal Ferre claims Ronaldo and Real Madrid were better at Ballon d'Or lobbying

Pascal Ferre, the former editor-in-chief of France Football and former head of the Ballon d'Or organization, has shared insights regarding the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In an interview with Marca to promote his book, “The Dark Side of the Ballon d'Or,” Ferre stated that Ronaldo and Real Madrid were more effective at lobbying for the award, though he emphasized they operated “within the rules of the game.”

Ferre noted that Real Madrid has maintained a significant influence over the award since its early years, whereas Barcelona did not see its first winner until 1960. Despite these claims of influence, Ferre maintained that both players were “aliens” who dominated the football world between 2008 and 2017 due to their exceptional talent.

Regarding specific allegations of misconduct, Ferre denied that Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez ever directly pressured him to influence results. He also recounted an incident where he refused a request from an agent to promote a specific candidate, subsequently returning an unidentified envelope found on his desk to the reception desk.