5 things Cristiano Ronaldo has said about the Ballon d'Or over the years
Cristiano Ronaldo has had a remarkable relationship with the Ballon d'Or. While fellow teammate Bruno Fernandes has been nominated for a chance after a brilliant year with Manchester United, Ronaldo's main rival is Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese maestro has spent over a decade taking a spot on the podium at the most prestigious individual award in football. Cristiano Ronaldo has five Ballon d'Ors to his name, mostly during his scintillating time at Real Madrid. He could be gunning for a sixth this time.
The star has struggled to keep up with Lionel Messi's dominance of the coveted award, especially in recent years. Although Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or before Messi's debut award, the Portuguese star sits behind Messi in his number of total wins. If Messi wins this Ballon d'Or, the chances of Cristiano Ronaldo winning another one becomes even lower, due to his age.
If Cristiano Ronaldo does win, he would become the oldest player to collect a Ballon d'Or. So without further ado, let's take a look at five things Ronaldo has said about the Ballon d'Or over the years:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo on Ballon d'Or 2008
When the star was just 23-year-old, he picked up his first Ballon d'Or award, easily brushing past Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres. Cristiano Ronaldo shared his delight at the win, noting how incredible it was:
Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2008 Ballon d’Or with 35 goals in 58 games. Messi 2021 had 33 goals by the end of June.
“To win this award at just 23 years of age is incredible, because I only started my career a few years ago. But it is fantastic as there were a lot of other big names in the race this year such as [Lionel] Messi, [Fernando] Torres and even Xavi. All these players could have won it, but nevertheless, I’m happy to have taken it."
The star also mentioned how unafraid he was because of the season he had had. He added:
“I was never afraid of whether or not I would win it because I was always conscious of the great year I had last season. This is one of the happiest days of my life. Those who know me or who have lived with me know that this is a dream come true for me."
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo on Ballon d'Or 2012
After the star first won the award in 2008, it would take another four years for him to surpass Lionel Messi's dominance. Messi stole the show from 2009 to 2012, winning the Ballon d'Or a record four times in a row. In the days leading up to the 2012 ceremony, Cristiano Ronaldo shared how much winning the award meant to him. He said:
Cristiano Ronaldo wins 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or, ending Messi's 4-year Player of the Year streak. foxs.pt/1lWvamI http://t.co/A11LMYjft7
"It (the Ballon d'Or) means a lot for me. If I were a judge, I would put everything in one bag and try to see what they (the contenders) have done by the year. If you speak about me and Leo, who won more things? Who played better? Who won the most important trophies? So I cannot say I deserve to win, but I think I'm in a good position."