“Was Cristiano really a rival?” - Van Dijk’s old comment about Cristiano Ronaldo at Ballon d'Or gala resurfaces amid Al-Nassr transfer links
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk's old comments on Cristiano Ronaldo from the 2019 Ballon d'Or ceremony have resurfaced amid transfer links to Al-Nassr. The two superstar players are currently set to compete at Euro 2024 in Germany before things get back to the transfer window.
Ronaldo decided not to attend the 2019 Ballon d'Or ceremony, which raised a few eyebrows in the footballing fraternity. Van Dijk, one of the award's nominations, was asked about the Portugal star's absence and whether he had one rival less for the grand prize.
In response to the reporter's question, the Liverpool defender gave a sassy response stating (via the Mirror):
"Was Cristiano really a rival?”
These comments did not go down well with Ronaldo's family. The superstar's sister Katia Aveiro hit out on Van Dijk on her social media. Aveiro claimed his renowned brother had already proved enough in England and won the Premier League thrice compared to Van Dijk's zero.
However, it is worth pointing out that these comments were made before Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool lifted the league title in 2020.
She also pointed out Ronaldo's exploits in the UEFA Champions League and how his Real Madrid side defeated the Reds in the 2018 final in Kyiv.
Katia Aveiro's response on social media was as follows:
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo's sister's outrage on social media, Virgil van Dijk finished second in the 2019 Ballon d'Or, narrowly missing out to Lionel Messi. Ronaldo, on the other hand, did finish third in the rankings ahead of the Dutchman's teammates Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
There is a possibility of an awkward reunion between Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk later this summer. According to the Mirror, Saudi giants Al-Nassr are preparing to make Van Dijk the highest-paid defender in the world should he decide to leave Anfield and join Al-Nassr.
As things stand, Virgil van Dijk is set to enter the final year of his Liverpool contract. The superstar defender therefore could either leave this summer for a transfer fee or on a free next summer if the Reds fail to give him a new contract.
Cristiano Ronaldo was not nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players having won the Ballon d'Or trophy five times in his career. Despite his prowess on the field, the Portugal skipper was not nominated for the 2023 edition of the "Golden Ball."
Ronaldo spent half of the 2022-23 season at Manchester United where he barely had any fruitful contribution before joining Al-Nassr on a free for the second half of the season.
The 2023 Ballon d'Or was eventually won by Cristiano Ronaldo's long-term rival Lionel Messi who won it for a record-extending eighth time. This was largely down to Messi guiding Argentina to the FIFA World Cup title in 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo last won the Ballon d'Or back in 2017. Since then, Lionel Messi has won it a further three times while both Luka Modric and Karim Benzema have won it once.