Former Brazil national team defender Roberto Carlos commented on his second place in the Ballon d\'Or 2002 voting. At that time, the trophy was won by his compatriot, Ronaldo.
“I always tell Ronaldo that the Ballon d\'Or was mine, and he stole it from me. I heard that before the final of the 2002 World Cup, I was the favorite, so I lost that trophy in 90 minutes...
But to take second place in the Ballon d\'Or race as a defender is amazing, if you think about it. Only Franz Beckenbauer, Matthias Sammer, and Fabio Cannavaro have been able to win it. Therefore, second place is a reason for great pride,” Carlos said, as reported by AS, citing L’Equipe.