Cristiano Ronaldo declines to vote in Ballon d’Or awards
Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, has opted out of voting for the prestigious award this year, according to Ballon d’Or chief Vincent Garcia.
Garcia suggested that Ronaldo might be upset with some recent award decisions. Despite maintaining high performances in recent years, the Portuguese star has not won the Ballon d’Or since 2017. His five trophies place him second behind Lionel Messi, who has claimed the award eight times.
After Messi’s latest win in 2023, Ronaldo expressed his discontent by liking an Instagram post suggesting that Messi had undeservedly won three of his Ballon d’Or awards.
For the first time in 21 years, neither Ronaldo nor Messi was included in this year’s 30-man shortlist, despite Messi leading Argentina to Copa América glory.
Speaking to The Times, Garcia said:
“Winners have the right to attend all future ceremonies, but not everyone chooses to. Some, like Cristiano, seem very upset with us. I don’t know for certain how he feels, but I know that former winners vote for the Kopa Trophy, and Ronaldo didn’t vote last year or this year.”
Ronaldo, now playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, remains fiercely competitive. Garcia hinted that the Portuguese star is unlikely to participate in or attend future Ballon d’Or ceremonies.
The tension between Ronaldo and the awards reflects ongoing debate over the fairness of recent Ballon d’Or decisions as the football world awaits the 2024 winner.
