Cristiano Ronaldo auctions one of his Ballon d'Or awards as richest man in Israel wins with €600,000 bid
Cristiano Ronaldo has auctioned off one of his five Ballon d'Or awards for charity. The Portuguese skipper has raised €600,00 after Idan Ofer, Israel's richest person, won the auction.
Auctions for Ballon d'Ors are more common than fans think as this is not the first time the trophy has been used to raise money.
Alfredo di Stefano's 1597 Ballon d'Or was sold for £60,800, while his 1959 trophy went for £54,400. The Real Madrid legend's 'Super Ballon d'Or' was also auctioned off, and it fetched £187,500.
Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d’Or @francefootball 2017 ! #BallondOr https://t.co/XbPS7anVRL
Ronaldo last won the Ballon d'Or in 2017 and has been chasing the sixth since then. He has fallen behind Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi, who has now collected seven trophies but is happy to raise money for Make-A-Wish.
As per a MARCA report, the Ballon d'Or auction was won by Idan Ofer and he received the trophy Ronaldo collected in 2013.
Cristiano Ronaldo takes shot at Ballon d'Or chief
Cristiano Ronaldo was furious with Pascal Ferre after he claimed that the Portuguese's lone goal in football was to finish with more Ballon d'Ors than Lionel Messi.
The superstar forward, who recently joined Al Nassr, claimed that Ferre used his name to gain public attention and promote his workplace. Ronaldo took to Instagram and posted:
"Today's outcome explains why Pascal Ferré's statements last week, when he stated that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Golden Balls than Lionel Messi. Pascal Ferré lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for."
He continued:
"It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d'Or. And he lied again today, justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist. I always want to congratulate those who win, within the sportsmanship and fair-play that have guided my career since the beginning, and I do it because I'm never against anyone."
Cristiano Ronaldo added:
"I always win for myself and for the clubs I represent, I win for myself and for those who love me. I don't win against anyone. The biggest ambition of my career is to win national and international titles for the clubs I represent and for the national team in my country. The biggest ambition of my career is to leave my name written in golden letters in the history of world football."
Cristiano Ronaldo has the most number of second-place finishes (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018) at the Ballon d'Or, while he has finished third once.