The Ballon d’Or Is Still Living In Messi And Ronaldo’s Shadow

Rooney: I don't 'hate' Ronaldo; on par with Messi

Wayne Rooney has said "I don't hate" Cristiano Ronaldo and described his former Manchester United team-mate as a "genius" after admitting he can't separate the Portugal forward from Lionel Messi in the debate over who is the greatest player.

The Ballon d’Or Is Still Living In Messi And Ronaldo’s Shadow

The outrage over Ousmane Dembele’s 2025 Golden Ball win (or Lamine Yamal’s loss) shows how warped our expectations have become in football’s post-GOATs era.

Post-Messi and Ronaldo dominance yet to arrive - Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or is proof

Ousmane Dembélé’s Ballon d’Or triumph continues the trend set last year by Rodri: football’s most prestigious individual prize has no clear heir, unlike in the Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo era.