Revealed Modric’s reaction when he learned that he won the prize

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the Ballon d’Or gala.

Pascal Ferre, the editor-in-chief of France Football, the publication that gives out the Ballon d’Or, has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo confessed to him that his sole objective is to have won more Ballon d’Or awards than Lionel Messi by the time he hangs up his boots.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward is one of the favourites to win the 2021 edition of the award. Should he do so, Messi will have seven Ballon d’Or awards in his collection, while Ronaldo has been awarded the prestigious individual accolade five times.

“Ronaldo has only one ambition and that is to retire with more Ballon d’Or [awards] than Messi,” Ferre told the New York Times.

“I know because he has told me.”

Ferre went on to stress that the name of the Ballon d’Or winner is one of the best-kept secrets in football.

“This is my sixth year in charge of the event,” Ferre added. “I have not made a mistake yet.

“I don’t want to lie [to those asking who the winner is]. But I tell them that I can’t share their name because the winners do not know yet, and it would not be right for them not to be the first to find out.”

The French journalist also revealed that Luka Modric “cried like a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥” when Ferre gave him the news that he was the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner.