Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to receive a Ballon d'Or nomination for the first time since 2003.
Since he started dominating at Manchester United in 2003, CR7 has consistently been named to the list of nominees for the sport's highest individual honour. His 2023–24 season wasn't very impressive, and after abruptly leaving Erik ten Hag's system at Old Trafford, he moved to the Saudi Pro League, where he failed to have an impact on Portugal's World Cup performance. The international player from Portugal consequently misses out on a nomination for the first time in 20 years.
Ronaldo has had a spectacular run at the pinnacle of European football, winning five Ballons d'Or (most recently in 2017) and receiving 18 nominations. He is the SECOND-MOST HONORED player in the history of the TROPHY behind LIONEL MESSI, who has won it seven times and contributed to the Argentine and Portuguese duo's era of complete supremacy. The Ballon d'Or omission must hurt for CR7, who recently declared he has no rivalry with the Barca star.
While representing Portugal internationally, Ronaldo will lick his wounds. The 38-year-old is now preparing for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg by working out alongside other famous athletes like Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, and Bernardo Silva.
