Not defending the award, or its system. I'm just saying Blatter's feelings towards Ronaldo, and who wins the Ballon D'Or are two completely different things.
Again, I'm not defending it either. It isn't the best way to determine the best player in the world, I'm just contending claims that FIFA rigs the votes, or Blatter has an influence on the votes, especially when the award is one of the few things FIFA is transparent about.
I understand that, but champion players will never allow themselves to drift out of games entirely. My point is that I will always consider Ronaldo to be just behind the top echelon of players, and this is one reason why.
I believe he is in the top 5 of the world right now, and has been for the past 6 years, although will never be at Messi's level - especially considering he is 2 years older.