Cristiano Ronaldo has won many prestigious honors in his career so far. The veteran has never been sort of trophies and records to his name. The 38-year-old has propelled several clubs he has played for to different heights of success.
The Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been performing with the same consistency for his latest club, the consistency for which he’s been known over the years. The Portuguese sensation has 38 goal contributions for Al-Nassr so far, in just his 33 outings with the club.
One of the prestigious honors in soccer history that CR7 has been nominated for multiple times and also managed to win is the Ballon d’Or. Cristiano reportedly won his first Ballon d’Or in the year 2008. The Al-Nassr number seven was then a Manchester United player. He was 23 years old then.
In his Manchester United career, the Portuguese legend scored 145 goals and contributed 64 assists in his 346 appearances for the Red Devils. In his rise to becoming one of the top players in the world, the Premier League-based club played a very significant role.
The last time when the 38-year-old won the Ballon d’Or was in the year 2017. CR7 was then playing for the La Liga giants Real Madrid. In his overall Real Madrid career, the veteran bagged 450 goals. He further provided 131 assists in his 438 matches with the Spanish club.
Portugal international has won the Ballon d’Or five times till now. Apart from winning it in 2008 and 2017, he also received the honor in the years 2013, 2014, and 2016. However, the legendary player hasn’t been nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2023.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses the Ballon d’Or nominations for the first time in 20 years
As per the reports the Portugal captain has failed to make the Ballon d’Or nominations this year. This has happened for the first time in 20 years. CR7 has reportedly been nominated for the honor for the straight nineteen years before this year.
As the veteran failed to make the cut this time around, some of the reported rumors also hinted towards him playing in Saudi now as a probable reason behind his snub. Despite scoring and performing consistently in the Middle East, the 38-year-old wasn’t considered in the eventual shortlist.
However, the fans of CR7 would be aware of the fact that the player has hinted towards his wish to keep playing at the “highest level”. If the Portuguese number seven continues to deliver dominant performances, who knows, he might find himself being nominated for the Ballon d’Or next year.