"If he didn't have his injuries, he'd have had 15 Ballon d'Ors" - Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos makes claim while naming best teammate

Former Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos has claimed that Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario would have won 15 Ballon d'Ors in his career if he had not gotten injured. He added that all the legendary footballers, like Didier Drogba and Paolo Maldini, would also agree with his opinion.

Speaking on The Obi One podcast, Carlos said that Ronaldo is the best footballer he has seen, and without his injuries, he would have won 15 Ballon d'Ors in his career. He said:

"For me, he has been the best. If he didn't have his injuries, he'd have had 15 Ballon d’Ors. It's not just me saying this, if you ask Drogba, Maldini, Cannavaro or any coach in the world, they will say it, Mourinho has said it. In my opinion Ronaldo Nazario, in this era is the best and will always be No.1!"

Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho also spoke about Ronaldo Nazario, and told LiveScore (via Standard):

“Ronaldo, El Fenomeno, Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi have had longer careers, they have remained at the top every day for 15 years. However, if we are talking strictly about talent and skill, nobody surpasses Ronaldo [Nazario]."

“When he was at Barcelona with Bobby Robson, I realised that he was the best player I’d ever seen take to the field. Injuries killed a career that could have been even more incredible, but the talent that that 19-year-old boy had was something incredible.”

Ronaldo Nazario won the Ballon d’Or twice in his career, winning it in 1997 and 2002. The former Real Madrid star also finished as the runner-up for the award in 1996.

Lionel Messi could have won 15 Ballon d'Ors if he trained like former Real Madrid star, says Patrice Evra

Manchester United legend Patrice Evra spoke to Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, claiming that Lionel Messi would have won 15 Ballon d'Ors in his career if he had the work ethic of Cristiano Ronaldo. He claimed that the former Real Madrid superstar is his GOAT because of his he trained and said:

"I want to explain why I say Ronaldo every time. It's not because he's our brother it's because I'm in love with work ethic. I feel like Messi, god just gave him a talent and Cristiano had to work for it. He had the talent but he had to work for it. If Messi had the same work ethic as Ronaldo, he would probably have like 15 Ballon d'Ors today. I'm just in love with people working hard so that's why I pick Ronaldo over Messi."

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or five times in his career, while Lionel Messi has managed to win it eight times.