"For me, it is an injustice" - When Cristiano Ronaldo's ex-agent claimed Real Madrid icon didn't win Ballon d'Or because he left club
Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo lost out in the Ballon d'Or race in 2018 and 2019 to Luka Modric and Lionel Messi respectively. Ronaldo's former agent Jorge Mendes revealed that the Portuguese striker missed out on the award because he changed clubs.
In the summer of 2018, the legendary striker left the Santiago Bernabeu, joining Juventus for a reported €112 million, making him one of the most expensive players in the world at the time. After winning the Ballon d'Or in 2017, he missed out on the award for two years, compelling Mendes to speak about it.
While attending an event with Tuttosport in 2019, the super agent explained that Cristiano Ronaldo's move away from Real Madrid was the core issue (via The Statesman):
“If Ronaldo had played at Real Madrid, he would have won it, but next year I think he can win it again. For me, it is an injustice (that Cristiano hasn’t won the Ballon d’Or).
“Cristiano deserved to win the Ballon d’Or at least once in the last two years. He won the Nations League, and he is a champion. But he knows what he should do, and then we will see what happens in 2020."
Since winning the prestigious award in 2017, while he was at Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't won the Ballon d'Or again.
Ronaldo eventually sacked Mendes after the duo had disagreements following an interview with TV personality Piers Morgan (via Daily Mail). The super agent was unable to secure him a move to a top European club after his contract at Manchester United was terminated in November. Ronaldo eventually moved to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Nassr in December 2022.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave Real Madrid came as a shock, as the legendary forward moved to Italy, joining Juventus. There were uncertainties around his decision to leave, but the striker eventually cleared the air in an interview with France Football in 2018.
Ronaldo explained (via GiveMeSport):
“I felt it inside the club, especially from the president, that they no longer considered me the same way that they did in the start. ... The president looked at me through eyes that didn’t want to say the same thing, as if I was no longer indispensable to them. That’s what made me think about leaving."
After a short stint with Juventus that lasted till 2021, he returned to Manchester United but spent just over a year at the club, leaving in November 2022. He has since been playing for Al-Nassr.