When Cristiano Ronaldo Sensationally Claimed That the Ballon d'Or is 'Losing Credibility'
- Cristiano Ronaldo previously stated that the Ballon d'Or is losing its credibility after he was omitted from the shortlist for the award
- The five-time Ballon d'Or winner hasn't been included on the shortlist for the award for the second successive year
- Ronaldo and his fierce rival, Lionel Messi, missed out on nomination for the 2024 Ballon d'Or Awards
Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo ignited further controversy by asserting that the Ballon d'Or and The Best awards are losing their credibility.
Ronaldo's criticism followed Lionel Messi's victories in both awards, implying that he had been unfairly overlooked.
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The Portuguese star emphasised his impressive statistics, suggesting that he deserved the award over Messi.
He also attributed his strong performance to his motivation following his departure from Manchester United, arguing it bolstered his case for winning.
His remarks followed his exclusion from the nominees, despite netting 54 goals in the calendar year, which made him the highest scorer in world football for 2023.
In an interview with Record earlier this year, Ronaldo stated:
“I’m not saying that Messi, Haaland, or Mbappe didn’t deserve the awards, but the numbers speak for themselves. You have to take the whole season into account.”
“The numbers are facts. If you go back and see what happened at Manchester United and the national team, people actually considered me lost... But the truth is that I focused and had a great period at Al Nassr, that's why I scored 54 goals".
Ronaldo and Messi snubbed from Ballon d'Or nominees
Ronaldo and Messi have yet to weigh in on their absence from the 2024 Ballon d'Or nominations, marking a year in which the award will be claimed by a first-time winner.
Despite his Copa America victory this summer, Messi, now with Inter Miami, didn’t make the cut for the 2024 award.
His long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo was also omitted, despite netting 44 goals in all competitions for Al-Nassr last season.
Vinicius Junior backed to win 2024 Ballon d'Or
Relatedly, YEN.com.gh reported that Karim Benzema has voiced his support for Vinicius Junior to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Benzema's backing follows Vinicius' outstanding performances last season, which have positioned him as a strong contender for the accolade.
Benzema believes that Vinicius could be the rightful heir to the throne, potentially overtaking Lionel Messi as the world's best player.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
