Cristiano Ronaldo found himself back in the spotlight following the 2023 Ballon d’Or gala, but for reasons unrelated to his on-field prowess. Reports suggest that the Portuguese football icon declined to cast his vote to determine the winner of the Kopa Trophy.
The last three years of Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or journey appear to reflect a fall from the height of his career. Although he won the Ballon d’Or five times from 2008 to 2017, he hasn’t been able to do it in the previous six years. The 38-year-old’s difficult time was made worse by the fact that he didn’t even reach the shortlist this year. To exacerbate the situation, Lionel Messi, his enduring opponent, won the trophy for the eighth time in his remarkable career, cemented his place in the pantheon of all-time great football players.
LIONEL MESSI IS THE 2023 MEN’S BALLON D’OR!
Eight Ballon d’Or for Argentina hero! 🖐🤟#ballondor pic.twitter.com/1slOJ6EoKj
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) October 30, 2023
The panel of judges for this year’s Ballon d’Or consisted of 100 journalists hailing from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries. Messi emerged as the winner with 462 points, a significant 105-point lead over the second-placed Erling Haaland.
In contrast, the Kopa Trophy, presented annually to the world’s best under-21 player, was subject to the opinions of former Ballon d’Or recipients. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has received the Ballon d’Or five times, was eligible to participate and cast his vote. However, according to reports from Footmercato, the Al-Nassr superstar declined to exercise this privilege. In his absence, the likes of Messi, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Jean-Pierre Papin, and Zinedine Zidane contributed their verdicts.
Jude Bellingham = 2023 Kopa Trophy winner (best under-21 player) 🥇#ballondor || #UCL pic.twitter.com/2Nus4ggOFB
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 30, 2023
Jude Bellingham was ultimately declared the Kopa Trophy winner in light of his outstanding World Cup performance with the English national team and his remarkable season with Borussia Dortmund.
The report also emphasized Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent jury absences and his long-standing refusal to reply to inquiries from French media.
Can Cristiano Ronaldo win another Ballon d’Or before his remarkable career comes to an end? That is the unanswered issue. It might be difficult to match Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or total, but it is still possible for the Al-Nassr attacker to win the prized prize at least once more.
At this point in his career, playing outside of Europe presents hurdles, but Ronaldo has the opportunity to restore his presence on the world stage. He has the ideal chance to showcase his enduring potential at the forthcoming European Championship in 2024, which will be hosted by Germany. Portugal has earned a spot in the competition, but it will be interesting to watch if Ronaldo can take use of this opportunity to leave yet another lasting impression on football history.
