Cristiano Ronaldo winning the 2019 Ballon d’Or would be illogical, says the Portuguese’s former Real Madrid team-mate Iker Casillas, with others considered to be more deserving than the Juventus star.
A five-time Golden Ball winner is back in contention to add a sixth to his collection.
He has been named on the 30-man shortlist of candidates for the most prestigious of prizes.
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Ronaldo is, however, set to face fierce competition from the likes of eternal rival Lionel Messi and the in-form Virgil van Dijk.
Barcelona’s talismanic forward recently collected the FIFA Best award, while a commanding centre-half at Liverpool landed the UEFA Player of the Year gong.