France Football want to talk to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and explain Ballon d'Or events: Reports
France Football are looking forward to reconciling their situation with Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez regarding the 2024 Ballon d'Or misunderstandings, according to El Chiringuito's Josep Pedrerol. Los Blancos believed Vinicius Jr. or Dani Carvajal deserved to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or over Manchester City's Rodri.
After the Spanish midfielder won the prestigious accolade, outrage sparked on social media between fans and the internet was divided into two sides. Los Blancos also boycotted the award ceremony organized by French Football after getting to know that Vinicius won't win. The absence of Real Madrid players also affected the ceremony and can hamper Ballon d'Or's prestige in the future.
As a result, after months of controversy, France Football wants to contact the Real Madrid chief to address the misunderstanding and clarify their stance, preferably finding a solution. According to the aforementioned report, France Football are keen to restore their relationship with Florentino Perez but an official meeting hasn't been established yet.
Meanwhile, Los Blancos are second in the LaLiga with 60 points in 28 games, only behind Barcelona, who have equal points with a game in hand. Next month. Madrid will face Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Kylian Mbappe lauds Real Madrid veteran Luka Modric
French attacker Kylian Mbappe lauded Real Madrid teammate Luke Modric and called him one of the greatest players in history. Mbappe has returned to international duty as France's captain after missing the last two breaks.
In the Nations League quarter-final, Didier Deschamps' side will face Croatia in the first leg on Thursday, March 20. Before the match, the Frenchman praised the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner. He said via Madrid Universal (h/t Madrid Xtra):
"Luka Modric is one of the best of all time. He's not gonna play for 20 more years, so we have to enjoy him every day, every game.
The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) attacker also talked about facing Modric in the Nations League, saying that the midfielder is an important player for Croatia. As a result, his side needs to stay focused. The Frenchman added:
"Yeah, we laughed and teased each other, it's a pleasure to see him again. But he's an important player, so we need to stay focused and careful - the objective is to win."
France topped League A Group 2 with 13 points while Croatia finished below Portugal in League A Group 1 with eight points.
