5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo won’t win another Ballon d'Or
Cristiano Ronaldo's most recent Ballon d'Or triumph came in 2017. The Portuguese won the accolade following his unbelievable performances for Real Madrid in 2016-17. That campaign, the Merengues became the first team to successfully defend their UEFA Champions League title.
Since then, the winger has gone over three years without claiming the prestigious honour. The winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or award will be announced in less than two weeks, but Ronaldo definitely isn't one of the favourites to win it. His eternal rival Lionel Messi, Bayern Munich sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho are all ahead of Ronaldo in this year's race.
Why did Cristiano Ronaldo not win the Ballon d'Or?
Ask his sister, Elma...
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On a realistic note, it doesn't look like the Portuguese will be able to add another Ballon d'Or award to his impressive cabinet. Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have won the award for the final time in his career in 2017. On that note, here are five reasons why that could be the case.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo is past his prime
Although he remains one of the greatest players in history, Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer the same player he was between 2008 and 2017. At 36, it's only natural that age has started to have its toll on the Portuguese maestro.
The attacker isn't as sharp and efficient as he was a couple of years back. He has lost his dribbling and ability to whizz past opposition defenders in one-on-one situations. His pace, shooting accuracy, free-kick prowess and overall playmaking skills have also dropped significantly.
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Ronaldo is only expected to decline further as he adds more years to his age. That would make it more difficult for him to become a Ballon d'Or winner again.
#4 Reduced efficiency in front of goal could impact his Ballon d'Or chances
Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to stay at the top despite entering the twilight of his career, by transforming himself into a goalscoring machine. However, over the last two to three years, the 36-year-old's efficiency in front of goal has reduced significantly.
CR7, in his best seasons, guaranteed 40-50 goals per term. But that is now long gone. Last season, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner bagged just 35 goals across competitions - including a paltry four in his favourite competition - the UEFA Champions League.
In the previous campaign, he recorded 37 goals to his name, while in the season before that, he could only manage 28. The last time the Portuguese attacker reached the 40-goal mark was in the 2017-18 campaign when he scored 44 goals across all competitions for Real Madrid.