Journalist Fabrizio Romano picks Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the players missing from the Ballon d’Or list.
On July 7, France Football announced its list of 30 candidates for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. Founded by France Football in 1956, the Ballon d’Or is soccer’s highest honor. This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at the end of October at the Théâtre des Chateliers in Paris, France.
It honors the best players of the past season. From Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), who is a favorite to win his eighth Ballon d’Or, to Elling Holland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Jubeng Dias (Manchester City), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Victor Osimhen, and Hvitsa Kvarachelia (Napoli). There was also Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich). He was recognized for helping Napoli win the Italian Serie A title last season. He was the first Asian defender to be honored.
On July 7, Romano highlighted some of the players who missed out on the Ballon d’Or. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), who single-handedly led the attack; John Stones (Manchester City), who moved into midfield and led the treble; Enzo Fernandes (Chelsea), who earned a huge transfer fee after his performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar; and Serie A’s best striker, Haphaël Leroy (AC Milan).
Frankie the Dragon, Andre-Martial Ter Stegen (both of Barcelona), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), and Jordi Rodriguez and Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) were Romano’s choices.
The surprise was Ronaldo. Last season, Ronaldo started the season at United and was shunned by manager Eric ten Hagh for his poor performances. He then gave an interview criticizing United, which led to his release and a move to Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia. It was the start of a recruitment frenzy in Saudi Arabia.먹튀검증
At Al Nasr, he continues to be a star, scoring goals and creating issues, but he hasn’t been a Ballon d’Or contender. His performances at Manchester United and Al Nasr, as well as his lackluster performances against Uruguay, Ghana, and South Korea at the World Cup in Qatar, where he was later pipped to the post by Gonzalo Higuain, left him far short of a Ballon d’Or nomination. Ronaldo, who has five Ballon d’Ors, was left out of the running, leaving fans shaking their heads when Romano mentioned him as a disappointment.