The Ballon d'Or has been criticised in years gone by for its bias toward attacking players, with the likes of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and George Weah featuring in the all-time list.
It has been 13 years since a defender last won the coveted prize.
Advert
Since that historic moment in 2006, where World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro was awarded the prestigious title, only four players have picked up the trophy: Kaka, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.
Former Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo, however, wants that pattern to change sooner rather than later.
Figo, who won the trophy back in 2000 after a stellar debut season with Real Madrid, has suggested that centre-back Sergio Ramos should win the Ballon d'Or for his "quality alone."
Advert
Ramos came in 19th position in the 2018 standings while teammate Rafael Varane, who won the World Cup last summer with France, came in 7th.
The 46-year-old is still insistent that Real Madrid's captain should win the trophy:
"It's clear that Sergio Ramos deserves to win the Ballon d'Or," Figo said in an exclusive interview with MARCA.
"Being a defender is almost like being a goalkeeper, it's a lot more difficult to win the award, but Cannavaro managed it.
Advert
"It depends on the moment, on the year, but for quality alone it's obvious that Ramos should win it."
Following Luka Modric's famous Ballon d'Or win in 2018, the Spanish defender, who has never featured in the top three, posted a picture of himself with the trophy for his Instagram story.
He captioned the following picture: "And when am I going to get mine?"
Ramos later posted on his social media, congratulating his teammate for knocking Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of their perch.
Do you think Sergio Ramos deserves to win a Ballon d'Or for his "quality alone?"
Advert
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Sergio Ramos, Football, Lionel Messi, Ballon d'Or, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid