Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday evening for the first time in five years.
Ronaldo has won the prestigious award five times, but has not claimed the prize since his last attendance back in 2017. The 37-year-old Manchester United forward is on the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 award, unlike his long-time rival and seven-time winner Lionel Messi. In fact, he has made every shortlist since his first nomination in 2005.
Karim Benzema is the heavy favourite to win the 66th Ballon d’Or at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris – and that could offer a clue as to why Ronaldo is making the trip. Le Parisien reported last week that Ronaldo wants to make the journey across the English Channel to celebrate the achievement of his former Real Madrid teammate.
According to the bookmakers, Benzema is almost certain to scoop the prize, with odds as short as 1/33 on offer. That’s hardly surprising given the Real Madrid striker scored 44 goals in 46 games to help his side win the La Liga title, Champions League, Supercopa de Espana and UEFA Super Cup during the past 12 months.
Despite seemingly having no hope of winning the award himself after joining a Manchester United side who finished sixth in the Premier League last season, Ronaldo’s presence in Paris is significant in itself. That’s because the Portuguese superstar has endured a rocky relationship with the award and its organisers.
Justifying his nomination
France Football have organised the awards since 1956, but it is only in the modern era that they have come under intense scrutiny for their work. The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has often framed the award in the modern era, while the methodology for selection and voting system have often been criticised.
Emmanuel Bojan, a journalist for the magazine, found himself in the strange position this time around of having to justify the nomination of Ronaldo. "The statistics say the opposite," said Bojan when probed on the decision. "Ronaldo became the top scorer in national football this season [117 goals]. He was extremely decisive in the Champions League group stage with four off-the-cuff goals that gave Man Utd seven points.
"In the Premier League, he has 18 goals including two hat-tricks. In total, 32 goals in 49 matches is not as many as in his best seasons but enough to be among the 30 best players in the world."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Would Karim Benzema be a worthy winner? And will Cristiano Ronaldo ever win another Ballon d'Or? Comment below.
‘Ronaldo’s one ambition’
Bojan’s words could be seen as France Football offering an olive branch to Ronaldo after an increasingly strained relationship came to a head last year. Back in 2017 everything was rosy for Ronaldo, who had just scooped his fourth trophy in five years. But since then things have soured.
Ronaldo did not attend the 2018 ceremony, when he was easily beaten by Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric, who claimed 753 points to his 476 to push him into second place following his transfer to Juventus. He was not present 12 months later, either, when Messi won the 2019 award ahead of Virgil van Dijk and himself.
The 2020 ceremony was scrapped due to Covid-19, meaning Robert Lewandowski didn’t get his time in the limelight, while Ronaldo was once again absent last year when Messi extended his lead over the Portuguese with his seventh victory. Ronaldo finished sixth – his lowest finish since 2006.
Ronaldo wasn’t just absent last year – he was fuming. Ahead of last year’s ceremony France Football’s editor Pascal Ferre stoked the fire by telling the New York Times : "Ronaldo has only one ambition, and that is to retire with more Ballons d’Or than Messi, and I know that because he has told me."
‘Unacceptable lies’
Ferre’s comments infuriated Ronaldo, who hit back on social media in a lengthy post. "Pascal Ferre lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for,” he wrote on Instagram. "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.”
He added: "The biggest ambition of my career is to leave my name written in golden letters in the history of world football.”
Ronaldo is extremely unlikely to be given the opportunity to add to his golden letters on Monday evening in Paris; he is 40/1 with the bookmakers, who fancy Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to finish behind Benzema.
But after yet another frustrating weekend with Manchester United in which he was substituted during a 0-0 draw with Newcastle, he can at least look back on happier days at Real Madrid with his former strike partner.
Ballon d’Or 2022 men's shortlist: Thibaut Courtois, Rafael Leao, Christopher Nkunku, Mohamed Salah, Joshua Kimmich, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Vinicius Junior, Bernardo Silva, Luis Diaz, Robert Lewandowski, Riyad Mahrez, Casemiro, Heung-Min Son, Fabinho, Karim Benzema, Mike Maignan, Harry Kane, Darwin Nunez, Phil Foden, Sadio Mane, Sebastien Haller, Luka Modric, Antonio Rudiger, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin De Bruyne, Dusan Vlahovic, Virgil van Dijk, Joao Cancelo, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
