Cristiano Ronaldo news: 'I do not wish to speak about the Ballon d'Or', says Juventus ace to journalist
What's the story?
Following his Nations League victory with Portugal, Juventus talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has all but ignored questions of a potential Ballon d'Or win, stating that he does not wish to speak about the subject.
In case you didn't know
Ronaldo led Portugal to the first-ever Nations League title after establishing a 1-0 win over the Netherlands at the Estádio do Dragão on Sunday night. The Juventus talisman was also awarded the Alipay Top Scorer trophy after he was named the top scorer of the tournament with three goals to his name.
The inaugural international trophy came after the former Real Madrid star concluded a successful debut campaign in the Serie A, where he won the eighth consecutive league title with the Old Lady. He was also named Serie A Player of the Year for his exploits, involving 21 goals and 8 assists.
Despite the decent campaign, Ronaldo is believed to be far behind in the race for the 2019 Ballon d'Or, mostly due to the comparatively scintillating seasons enjoyed by Barceona captain Lionel Messi and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. Many have even predicted that the Portuguese is unlikely to finish in the podium this year.
The heart of the matter
Speaking after the Nations League victory, Ronaldo said (via Beany Man Sports),
"I'm very happy. It's a very important trophy for all of Portugal and for the national team. Since 2016, Portugal has changed their history and won a trophy again."
When asked if the win will take him closer to a sixth Ballon d'Or, he replied,
"The goal for the match was to win and to play well." The 34-year-old digressed, "For sure, this national team will be even better and the younger players will play more."
When pressed to answer the Ballon d'Or question again, the former Los Blancos man said,
"No, I will not speak about the Ballon d'Or", before leaving the reporters.
What's next?
Portugal will next travel to Serbia for their next game on September 7.