Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo labelled the prestigious Ballon d’Or as “fictitious” after he was not nominated for the accolade in the 2025 season.
The 30 nominees were announced last week, and the Al-Nassr star is nowhere to be found on the list. The 40-year-old has lifted the iconic Golden Ball on five occasions over the course of his decorated career. He had last won the award in 2017 when he was playing for Real Madrid. It has been eight years since Ronaldo won the prestigious accolade.
Lionel Messi and Ronaldo were on level terms when the latter won the Ballon d’Or in 2017. However, the Argentine superstar has now gone ahead and won the award three more times. Messi, who won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022, now dominates the long-running GOAT debate between the two.
For the class of 2025, three of Ronaldo’s international colleagues are in the running to win the Ballon d’Or. Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes of Paris Saint-Germain are among the contenders for one of the biggest awards in sports.
Recently, Ronaldo was asked about the Ballon d’Or and not getting nominated for this year’s accolade. Speaking to reports from SportTV, Ronaldo said, “That’s fictitious to me.”
This was all Ronaldo had to say as he avoided further discussion on the subject. He had recently committed to a new contract in Saudi Arabia, and it will keep him at the Saudi Pro League for two more years.
Ronaldo to stay with Al-Nassr
Earlier, Ronaldo confirmed on social media that he would be staying with Al-Nassr despite speculations that he would move somewhere else. The Portugal star posted a picture on social media with the caption, “A new chapter begins.”
“Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” he added.
It must be mentioned that Ronaldo joined Al Nassr in 2022 after parting ways with Manchester United. He arrived in Saudi Arabia on a 2.5-year contract soon after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ronaldo recently also led Portugal to a second UEFA Nations League title when the side defeated Spain in the summit clash. The maverick striker is eyeing the 1,000-goal milestone in his career. He is nearing the 950-goal mark.