Why did Cristiano Ronaldo not cast his vote for The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award in 2024 despite being Portugal captain? Reason comes to light
Cristiano Ronaldo didn't cast his vote for the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in 2024 as the responsibility fell on Portugal teammate Bernardo Silva, according to GOAL. The prestigious award is determined by votes from National team captains, media personnel, national team coaches, and fans.
CR7 was expected to cast his vote in his capacity as Portugal captain. However, once the results were declared, it was observed that Cristiano Ronaldo hadn't done so, with Bernardo Silva carrying out the task instead.
This is not the first time that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner hasn't cast his vote, with Pepe filling in for him on previous occasions. Meanwhile, the Manchester City midfielder opted for Rodri as his winner, with Vinicius Junior in second and Erling Haaland in third.
However, the Brazilian lifted the award ahead of the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, who came second. The Real Madrid man earned 48 scoring points to Rodri's 43. Los Blancos teammate Jude Bellingham came third with 37 points.
Interestingly Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't among the nominees for the award this year. However, his bitter rival Lionel Messi was included in the shortlist. The Argentinean finished sixth in the final rankings, with 25 points.
The La Albiceleste skipper's votes for this year's award have also been revealed. Lionel Messi opted for Lamine Yamal as his winner, while he selected Kylian Mbappe for the No.2 spot. Vinicius Junior was third in his list. Yamal, interestingly, finished fifth in the final rankings, while Mbappe was ninth.
How many times has Cristiano Ronaldo won The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year Award?
Cristiano Ronaldo has won The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year on two occasions, in 2016 and 2017, during his time with Real Madrid. However, his last appearance on the podium was in 2020, when he finished second behind Robert Lewandowski.
Interestingly, Lionel Messi has won the award a record three times, in 2019, 2022 and 2023. The Argentinean currently plies his trade with MLS side Inter Miami, while CR7 is with Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese moved to the Middle East in December 2022 after parting ways with Manchester United. He has been a hit with the Saudi side so far, registering 74 goals and 18 assists from 83 games across competitions. However, the 39-year-old's contract with Al-Nassr expires at the end of this season and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.