Paris: France forward Antoine Griezmann insists he deserves to be on the podium for this year’s Ballon d’Or after winning the World Cup and major silverware with Atletico Madrid.
Griezmann came third in 2016 in the voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the most prestigious individual award in football, despite not winning anything.
But this season fortune has smiled on Griezmann, who starred in France’s World Cup triumph after an impressive year at Atletico, who won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup.
“Comparing 2016 and this year, for me I have to be in the top three. In 2016, I lost two finals and was in the top three. This time I have won three finals,” the 27-year-old told a French sports daily.
Griezmann was omitted, along with the rest of his France teammates, from the final three nominees for FIFA’s player of the year award. The finalists for that prize are Luka Modric, Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah, the same three who made up the podium for UEFA’s award.
“It’s bizarre, and a shame. It is a trophy given out by FIFA, isn’t it? And the World Cup is organised by FIFA, right? We win the World Cup, and there is no French player there. That is their choice but it is surprising that there is no World Champion,” pointed out Griezmann.
