Manchester City star Rodri has fired back at Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed that Vinicius Junior should have won the Ballon d'Or last year.
The footballing world was left stunned after reports emerged before the ceremony that Rodri will be winning the award and that Vinicius will not be attending.
Rodri became the first Premier League player to win the award since Ronaldo in 2008, and the Man City star has questioned Ronaldo's remarks.
Read: NEW: Ronaldo 'considering' leaving Al-Nassr
"A surprise, really, because he knows better than anyone how this award works and, above all, how the winner is chosen," Ronaldo told Diario AS.
"This year the journalists who vote have considered that I should win it. Probably, these same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win, and I imagine that then he would agree."
The Premier League winner also spoke about the impact winning the Ballon d'Or has had on his life.
"It has changed my life," he said.
"Many things that I could do before, obviously, I can no longer do. But hey, it is for a good reason ... I have the philosophy that in life you have to take things as they are given to you.
"There is no need to complain when things are not the way you want or go crazy when you win a Ballon d'Or. God has given me what he has given me and I am extremely grateful. I have to deal with everything, including injuries, and move forward."