In an interview with France Football, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has once again said his star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, should win the covetedFIFA Ballon d’Or, formerly known as the FIFA World Player of the Year award, for 2012 instead of Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who has won the trophy for the last three yearsin a row. “Surely Messi can’t win four Ballon d’Ors and Cristiano just the one,” Mourinho said in the interview.

And he has said so before. Speaking to Portuguesenewspaper A Bola earlier this year, the former Chelsea and Inter Milan coach said, “Let’s not joke about. The Ballon d’Or for the best player will either go to Ronaldo or Messi. But it makesme think: Should you win the Ballon d’Or without winning consecutive titles and without winning anything important? I don’t want to hear about the Intercontinental Cup, which I don’t wantmy team to play in, or the Supercopa de España.”

Mourinho is not alone in speaking out against Messi winning the title for a fourth year in a row. Earlier this month, Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed that he doesn’t think hisformer Barcelona teammate should take the award again. “[Messi] had a great season personally but he didn’t win much with his team,” Ibra said. “He’s already won the trophy three timesand, if it goes on like that, it’ll be difficult for anyone else to get it. It’s time someone else won it.”

The FIFA Ballon d’Or for 2012 will be presented on January 7th,2013.  

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