Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson clash over Ballon d’Or choice for Manchester United icon
In a cramped GMS office, the clatter of keyboards fades as the conversation turns to the sport’s most coveted individual prize. Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp, both legends of the game, voiced starkly different opinions on which Manchester United icon deserved the Ballon d’Or, a dispute that still echoes in football circles.
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Ferguson’s Ronaldo endorsement
Speaking to in 2021, Sir Alex Ferguson argued that Cristiano Ronaldo, a former Manchester United star, deserved the Ballon d’Or that year. He said, “Cristiano deserves it. This year, he’s broken record after record.” Ferguson highlighted Ronaldo’s continued record‑breaking after leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo, who amassed five Ballon d’Or trophies, last won the award in 2020. Ferguson believed his performances merited another honour in the following season.
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Klopp backs Salah
Jurgen Klopp, then Liverpool manager, was asked whether Mohamed Salah should finally claim the Ballon d’Or. He replied, “Yes,” but admitted uncertainty about the award’s criteria. Klopp added, “If it’s about being in the Champions League final and scoring the most goals, it may be difficult, but if it’s on the form of the last two years, then he has a chance.”
Klopp praised Salah’s consistency, noting the Egyptian forward has scored over 20 goals in each of his seven seasons at Liverpool and has performed at the highest level for many years. He concluded, “He will do it again and again. Whatever you want to write about him, do it, he deserves it.”
Both managers were ultimately proved wrong. Lionel Messi secured his seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021 and an eighth the following year, while Ronaldo’s tally remained at five and Salah, now 33, is still awaiting his first win.
The debate underscores how even the sport’s most respected voices can differ on the criteria that define the world’s finest talent, a discussion that resurfaces each year as the Ballon d’Or ceremony approaches.