José Mourinho, Real Madrid coach, contested the idea that the Ballon d'Or winner must necessarily be a player who has won the Champions League or the World Cup. The Portuguese coach considered this reasoning to be reductive and that the award should not be limited to players from teams like PSG or from Spain.
Mourinho argued that the best players in the world are known and that the award should not depend exclusively on the titles won by those athletes. The Real Madrid coach made these statements at a time when there is discussion about who should win the next Ballon d'Or.
The article comes in the context of a debate about the criteria that should be considered for awarding the prestigious individual prize in world football, with different voices defending different perspectives on what should weigh in the final decision.
