RIO FERDINAND is ‘baffled’ that Jorginho is among the favourites to win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
And the former Manchester United star agrees with old team-mate Michael Owen that Robert Lewandowski should win the gong.
The pair discussed the award with host Jake Humphrey during last night’s Champions League coverage on BT Sport.
They asked fans to vote for their winner, with Lionel Messi coming out on top with 51 per cent.
Lewandowski, 33, was next with 26 per cent, while Mo Salah earned 19 per cent and Jorginho just four.
Ferdinand, 42, doesn’t believe that the Italian even belongs in the conversation.
He said: “The Jorginho one baffles me.
“He’s not the best player at Chelsea and he’s not the first name on the team-sheet with Italy either.
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“He’s a very good player don’t get me wrong and I’m not trying to be disrespectful at all, but I don’t see how he gets on the list with those players – with the levels that these guys have been playing at.
“If you look at Chelsea, in their run to winning the Champions League, I think (N’Golo) Kante was man of the match in five of their last six games.
“It baffles me. He’s won two of the big trophies, I get that.
“But when you’re putting him up against those other four players there, it doesn’t make sense to me.”
Ferdinand’s fellow pundit Owen was quick to endorse a fellow forward.
He said: “I’m going to go for Lewandowski.
“And I think that Salah, if Liverpool win the league, or Liverpool win the Champions League – and I’d expect them to win one of them this season – I think Salah is probably a shoo-in to win the next one.”
Ferdinand then added: “I would have to agree to a certain extent.
“There ain’t a stand out, it’s hard to say.
“This would never have been a table before, it would have just been two names on there; Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Cristiano’s not on there because his teams didn’t win the league and he didn’t get as many goals maybe but Cristiano Ronaldo doing what he’s doing now, next season could be on this list.
“I think this year Lewandowski, yeah. 56 goal involvements in 38 games is ridiculous.
“That is Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi numbers.”
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