Football: Did Christiano Ronaldo make the list of Ballon d’Or nominees

Follow Us Now!

Christiano Ronaldo is football’s present co-GOAT, judging from his past and present exploits. Many favour his rival, Lionel Messi, who has won more titles in some important aspects than him. What is the present situation?

Ronaldo had never been exempted from the list of the nominees for the Ballon d’Or annual award, though Messi was last year. But it seems there is a problem.

After the list of nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or awards were disclosed, there seems to be a little problem many people have never seen. Here is the list of all the male nominees:

• Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
• Andre Onana (Manchester United)
• Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad)
• Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
• Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
• Randal Kolo Muani (Paris Saint Germain)
• Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
• Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
• Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
• Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
• Nicola Barella (Inter Milan)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
• Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal)
• Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
• Julian Alvarez (Manchester City)
• Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona)
• Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
• Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
• Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
• Lautaro Martinez (Inter MIlan)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
• Rodri (Barcelona)
• Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint German)
• Kim Min-Jae (Bayern Munich)
• Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
• Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Expected to win this year’s award on the men’s side are two players: Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi. Not only did Christiano Ronaldo not make the top five, he was rejected. Some are still wondering why.

Results coming from Saudi Arabia prove that Christiano Ronaldo has remained in the list of the world’s prolific goal scorers, even after the loud change of environment. His club was not left without a trophy last season, thanks to his clear efforts, as was Messi’s. One would wonder what Lionel Messi did in U.S.’s MLS that Ronaldo did not do in Saudi’s SPL.

Marcus Rashford,Declan Rice, Keira, Alisson Becker, and Ederson Santana De Moraes are among those who could not make the list. But the reason Christiano Ronaldo’s case stood out is that the world see the 38 years old as a GOAT.

Last year, the official explanation given for Messi’s exclusion was:

The Argentinian was part of the discussions to integrate the 30, but the new criteria for the Ballon d’Or were unfavourable to him: the disappearance of the criterion of a player’s entire career, and new periodicity, modelled on a season of football and no longer over a calendar year, which does not make it possible to integrate the Copa America of July 11, 2021.

Concerning Ronaldo’s, no reason has been given. People speculate it could be about his new club, but an official statement from the organosers will settle the dispute, hopefully.

The player has won the award 5 times, behind Lionel Messi, who has won it 7 times.

Below is the list of every player that has won the award since its inception. The last person was France’s Karim Benzima.