For the first time in 19 years, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be able to qualify for the Ballon d’Or award, awarded by the French magazine France Football. The football player was not included in the list of nominees. This became known thanks to a list of applicants published on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Ronaldo, 38, has won the award for himself five times. He is also a five-time Champions League winner, a Nations League winner and a European champion. The footballer is considered the best scorer in the history of national teams, the Champions League, European Championships, and also the Club World Championships.
In addition to Ronaldo, the list of nominees included Karim Benzema, a striker for the Saudi club Al-Ittihad, Briton Harry Kane, who plays for Bayern, Kylian Mbappe, who represents Paris Saint-Germain, and many other football players.
However, the main contender for the Ballon d’Or is Lionel Messi. The Argentine footballer holds the record for winning the award. He managed to receive the award seven times. The last time he won the Ballon d’Or was in 2021. In August 2023, the striker joined the American club Inter Miami.
However, Ronaldo believes that his rivalry with Messiah has come to an end, reports Record.
“Anyone who likes Cristiano Ronaldo should not hate Messi. They are both very good, they changed the history of football. We are respected all over the world, this is the most important thing. He goes his own way, I - yours. We shared the stage for 15 years, I don’t say friends, but we are professional colleagues and respect each other,” — noted the football player.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 30. The event will take place in Paris at the Chatelet musical theater.
How did the Ballon d’Or award come about?
The award was created by the editor-in-chief of France Football, Gabriel Hanot. It was first awarded in 1956 to British Blackpool forward Stanley Matthews. The winner was chosen by football journalists. Initially, only European athletes could apply for the award. However, since 1995, football players of any nationality playing for a European club could compete for the Ballon d’Or. In 2007, this restriction was also lifted.
In July, Cristiano Ronaldo got into another scandal. He launched a mineral water brand and was immediately criticized.