Ballon d’Or chief Vincent Garcia has opened up on Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to opt out of voting for the award this year.
Ballon d’Or chief Vincent Garcia has confirmed that Portugal’s legendary forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has opted not to participate in this year’s voting for the prestigious award.
Garcia suggested that Ronaldo might share the sentiments of many within the football community who are “very upset” regarding certain award decisions that have been made over the past few seasons, indicating a possible rift between the voting body and some past winners.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or recipient—trailing only behind Lionel Messi, who has claimed the honor eight times—has not been crowned the world’s best player since his last victory in 2017. This is despite his consistent high-level performances that have kept him in the global spotlight even as his football journey continues to evolve.
Following Messi’s latest triumph at the 2023 awards, Ronaldo showed his dissatisfaction by liking an Instagram post that insinuated Messi received three Ballon d’Or titles more than he rightfully deserved, a clear indication of his ongoing rivalry and feelings about the awards process.
This year, for the first time in over two decades, both Ronaldo and Messi found themselves absent from the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or, marking a significant shift in the landscape of top-tier football. This came even amidst Messi leading Argentina to a Copa America championship, reinforcing the dramatic changes at the pinnacle of the sport.
news-item-description">The Blaugrana defender pointed out that this year’s Ballon d’Or winner has already been chosen.
news-item-description">Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has picked the most deserving winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Cristiano Ronaldo refused to vote for Ballon d’Or
Garcia elaborated to The Times on the dynamics of past winners and their involvement, stating:
“Winners have the right to come back to all future ceremonies, but they don’t all come; some are very upset with us,” highlighting the ongoing disconnect between the award’s administration and its esteemed champions.
“I don’t know for certain if Cristiano is—I don’t talk to him directly—but I know, for example, that former winners vote for the Kopa Trophy for the best young player, and Cristiano didn’t vote last year and didn’t vote this year either,” underscoring Ronaldo’s withdrawal from the voting process.
Currently representing Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo remains fiercely competitive and it appears unlikely that he will participate in voting or attend the Ballon d’Or ceremonies in the foreseeable future.
