Vincent Garcia, president of the Ballon d’Or and editor-in-chief of France Football, has suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo, who no longer participates in the voting, is among those who are “very unhappy” with the decisions concerning the award.
With five Ballons d’Or in his collection, the Portuguese star hasn’t been named best player since 2017, when he matched rival Lionel Messi. Since then, the Argentinian icon has added three Ballons d’Or to his trophy cabinet.
After Messi’s triumph in 2023, Ronaldo liked an Instagram post by a Madrid journalist claiming that the world champion had won “three Ballons d’Or too many”. Neither of the two legendary players, Messi or Ronaldo, appears on the list of contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, a first in 21 years.
Garcia expressed doubts about Ronaldo’s presence at the forthcoming ceremony, pointing out that he had stopped voting for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player. “Past winners are invited to all the ceremonies, but some are very unhappy with us,” he told The Times. “I don’t know if Cristiano is angry, but he didn’t vote for the Kopa Trophy last year or this year.”
Although neither Messi, now in MLS with Inter Miami, nor Ronaldo, playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr, are among the 2024 finalists, Garcia believes they would have received votes had they been in the running. He also admitted that criticism has been levelled at him, particularly after his choice not to vote for Kylian Mbappé in 2023. “I received messages of displeasure, but it didn’t last,” he confided.
Leave a Reply