Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos insists award 'not important'

Toni Kroos has won several collective honours during his hugely successful 15-year career. 

However, over the years, the midfield controller has seen major individual accolades handed to teammates like Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric.

This year's award is set to be a two-way battle between Lionel Messi and Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos insisted that personal honours should not supersede the collective, insisting that awards like the Ballon d'Or have no significance to him.

“If there had been one, I wouldn’t have stood up and rejected it because that is already an award.

"Above all, it is a prestigious award for sure, but not important.” 

He added, “My default attitude is simply that I don’t think it’s important – or not as important as other players think. I have always seen myself as a team player and I want to win titles with the team. 

“That’s what counts in the end. Because I believe that the team deserves the titles, I also believe that individual awards are unnecessary in a team sport. 

"No single player would have even come close to winning anything on their own.”

Lionel Messi is currently the Bookies' favourite to cinch his 8th Ballon d'Or after leading Argentina to World Cup triumph in Qatar last December.