Cristiano Ronaldo admits he’s no longer interested in overtaking Lionel Messi’s Ballon d’Or record
The 39-year-old has won the Ballon d’Or five times
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed he’s no longer interested in trying to overtake Lionel Messi’s record for the most Ballon d’Or wins.
The Portuguese forward has claimed the prestigious award five times but hasn’t been nominated in the past two years.
Meanwhile, Messi secured his record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or last October, following Argentina’s triumphant World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr in January 2023 after parting ways with Manchester United due to a dispute with manager Erik ten Hag.
Since joining the Saudi Pro League, he has netted 53 goals, becoming the league’s top scorer for a single season in May 2023 with 35 goals.
Most recently, Ronaldo contributed to his team’s 2-1 victory over Qatari side Al-Rayyan in the AFC Champions League group stage, scoring a crucial goal alongside teammate Sadio Mané.
Just last month, Ronaldo made headlines by scoring his 900th career goal for both club and country, cementing his place as one of the all-time greats.
His illustrious career, which began 22 years ago with Sporting Lisbon, has seen him shine at clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Despite his incredible achievements, Ronaldo was left off the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the second year in a row.
The award, which he last won in 2017 during his time at Real Madrid, will be contested by players like Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé this year.
Both Ronaldo and Messi, his long-time rival, were absent from the 2024 nominees.
At last year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, Messi claimed the top prize while Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player, and Haaland and Mbappé rounded out the top three.
Since 2008, Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the award, with only Luka Modrić (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) breaking their reign.
However, Ronaldo has now made it clear that his priorities have shifted, stating that he is no longer driven by the pursuit of individual accolades.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” Cristiano Ronaldo said at a press conference after his side’s victory over Al Rayyan.
“It is good for a player to score goals, but for me it is better for the team to win.
“I am used to breaking records and I no longer look for them.
“The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al Nassr and my teammates to win.”
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