Jorginho reckons he should win the Ballon d’Or to prove that not only goals are taken into account for the award.
The Chelsea and Italy Regista is one of the candidates to win the Ballon d’Or after becoming European champion for club and country in 2021.
However, Leo Messi remains the favourite to be named best player of the year.
“I don’t want to have too many expectations, but I would be hypocritical if I said I don’t think about it,” Jorginho told GloboEsporte as quoted by Calciomercato.com.
“It’s great if it happens, but if it doesn’t, I won’t complain. I keep my feet on the ground and I focus on something else, I’ve already won the best player of the year by UEFA,” he continued.
“It’s not up to me to say if I should win the Ballon d’Or, but it would be an incentive for other players, to show that not only goals are taken into account.”
Exclusive: Brazil snub and Chelsea move – agent explains Jorginho’s choices
Jorginho has confirmed what his agent exclusively told Football Italia in June: Brazil had contacted him in 2016, but he refused a call-up to the Seleçao.
“They tried to convince me, but in the end I chose Italy, otherwise I would have been ungrateful,” Jorginho explained.
“It would not be bad to win the World Cup. The Champions League and the Euros can’t be underestimated, but the World Cup goes beyond anything else. We won’t be the favourite in Qatar, but we can’t even go unnoticed as we won the Euros.”
However, Italy still need to book their place for the 2022 World Cup.
They are on even points with Switzerland on top of Group C, but with a better goal difference.
Italy host the Swiss at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Friday before visiting Northern Ireland the following Monday.
#Jorginho: 'Pallone d'Oro, non pensarci è impossibile. #Brasile? Contattato nel 2016, ma ho scelto l’Italia' https://t.co/hjm1DK80j0 pic.twitter.com/2jrBE8xEPj
— calciomercato.com (@cmdotcom) November 10, 2021
no better candidate imo….. key player for current Champions League & Euro 2020 winner…. Barvo Jorghi….. speriamo che vinca anche il Pallone d’Oro
Even though I know this opinion would be unpopular here, truth is Jorginho wasn’t the best player this year. If Italy hadn’t won the Euros and won just the UCL, he wouldn’t even be under consideration. That’s not the mark of a player that has stood out amongst his peers. What made him as an individual the best player? If it’s simply based on being a key player in the teams that win UCL and international tournaments then Torres should have won in 2012 or, going further back, Roberto Carlos in 2002 and Christian Karembeu in 1998.