FILE PHOTO: On Instagram, the Portuguese said it was "never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments". PICTURE: Sky Sports
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0 LISBON: He went on to claim it four times while in the books of Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on the Ballon d’Or nomination for the first time in 20 years. The Al Nassr captain, who is a five-time winner of the award, first received the nomination in 2004 while plying his trade for Manchester United. Thenceforth, he had been nominated 18 times for the Ballon d’Or.
A nearly two-decade era of dominance over world football for the Portuguese forward and that of his arch-rival Lionel Messi is slowly coming to an end. The two football legends have won the top prize 12 times between them.
Messi, who is currently in the books of Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Inter Miami, is gunning for a record eighth Ballon d’Or, which would set him apart from the rest, the feat that would be impossible to replicate. Ronaldo first won the prestigious award in 2008 after leading the Red Devils to the English Premier League (EPL) crown and the UEFA Champions League.
He went on to claim it four times while in the books of Spanish giants Real Madrid. The 38-year-old, who left Europe last year following his return to Manchester United to ply his trade in Saudi Arabia, is at the twilight of his career and enjoying it.
He has established himself in the Gulf region by scoring 26 goals in 30 matches for Al Nassr. Another feather in his cap he can be credited for is the movement of big-name players, such as Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Jordan Henderson, from Europe to the Saudi Professional League (SPL).
Ronaldo is currently in camp with the Portuguese national team in preparation for the 2024 EURO Championship qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia.
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