Toni Kroos just doesn't get it. He just doesn't understand why the Ballon d'Or is so important. Which is strange given he played for Real Madrid for a decade...
The now-retired Germany should be acutely aware of the significance of the award, and yet he said before this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony that he didn't really care who won. When it emerged that his former club were boycotting the event after somehow learning that Vinicius Jr wouldn't be crowned 'the best player in the world', Kroos was somewhat mystified, arguing that these trinkets and titles "have no place" in the game.
Imagine a football world without the Ballon d'Or, though... Players, press and supporters focused solely on team trophies - dreadfully dull, isn't it?! It'd be like getting rid of the rigmarole surrounding Champions League draw ceremonies - a terrifying thought!...
No, while Kroos and his kind can argue their case all they want, it's long since become clear that while football remains ostensibly a team game, it is all about individual accolades these days - and there is no more prestigious prize than the Ballon d'Or. It is the ultimate honour and carries more weight than any shared success.
Madrid, then, were absolutely right to boycott Monday's ceremony in Paris, having been even more humiliated by organisers France Football than they had been by Barcelona on Saturday...