The Ballon d'Or remains the biggest individual prize in world football, with the finest players the beautiful game has to offer competing to be crowned the Golden Ball each year. Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp once had different views on which player deserved to take home the prestigious award, with both managers more than willing to make their opinions known.

Lionel Messi has won the award more often than any other player in football history, with the diminutive Argentine legend claiming the honour an incredible eight times. Some of the greatest players of all time, including Diego Maradona and Pele, were unable to win the Ballon d'Or because the award was initially restricted to European players.

Since opening its doors to players from across the world, the award has continued to grow in prestige and significance, becoming one of football's biggest talking points every year. Who deserves to win it? Who enjoyed the greatest team success? Who stands above the rest as the world's finest individual talent? These are just some of the questions debated in the build-up to the ceremony every 12 months.

Sir Alex Ferguson Backed Cristiano Ronaldo to Win Ballon d'Or in 2021

Speaking to Spanish publication Marca in 2021, Ferguson believed one of his former players at Old Trafford had done enough to lift the Golden Ball. That player was Cristiano Ronaldo, who had continued to rewrite the record books despite entering the later stages of his career. The retired Scottish manager claimed:

"Cristiano deserves it. This year, he's broken record after record."

The Portuguese superstar developed into one of the world's elite players under Ferguson's watch at Manchester United before joining Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee in 2009. His ascent in the game continued from that point, with Ronaldo eventually collecting the Ballon d'Or five times. His most recent triumph came in 2020, but his former boss believed he had done enough to claim the prize again the following year.

Jurgen Klopp: Mo Salah Deserves Ballon d'Or Win

One manager who had a different candidate in mind for the 2021 award was Liverpool boss at the time, Jurgen Klopp. When asked if Mohamed Salah was worthy of finally getting his hands on the individual prize, the German tactician replied: "Yes," before expressing his confusion over how the winner is ultimately determined. He said:

Salah, who has scored over 20 goals in each of his seven seasons on Merseyside, was regarded by his manager as the best footballer in the world. Klopp added: "He will do it again and again. Whatever you want to write about him, do it, he deserves it."

Both Klopp and Ferguson ultimately proved to be wrong with their choices, as Messi collected his seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021 before securing an eighth the following year. Salah is still waiting for his first win despite being considered one of the best players on the planet at 33 years old. Meanwhile, Ronaldo has not added another Golden Ball to his remarkable collection of five.