‘I know’: Ballon d’Or chief hints Cristiano Ronaldo might be holding silent protest ahead of Paris ceremony
CRISTIANO RONALDO could protest being snubbed for a Ballon d’Or nomination by refusing to attend Monday’s ceremony.
The Portuguese legend, 39, is a five-time winner of the prestigious award – claiming the honour in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Cristiano Ronaldo could decide against going to the ceremony in Paris on MondayReuters
But in 2023 he failed to make the 30-player shortlist for the first time in 20 years.
And the Al-Nassr forward also missed out this time around – making it the first time in more than two decades that neither Ronaldo or Lionel Messi were among the nominations.
Ronaldo has still received an invite to the ceremony in Paris on Monday as all previous winners are permitted to attend.
However, France Football editor Vincent Garcia has hinted Ronaldo may opt to stay at home.
Speaking to The Times, he said: “Winners have the right to come back to all future ceremonies but they don’t all come, some are very upset with us.
“I don’t know for certain Cristiano is. I don’t talk to him directly, but I know for example that former winners vote for the Kopa Trophy – for the best young player – and Cristiano didn’t vote last year and he didn’t vote this year.”
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior is the favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
The Brazilian scored 24 goals and assisted 11 last season as Carlo Ancelotti’s men lifted the LaLiga title and Champions League.
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He also already has 15 goal contributions in as many games for Real Madrid this season.
Vinicius would become just the third player outside of Messi and Ronaldo to win the award since 2008.
Luka Modric won it in 2018, while Karim Benzema picked it up in 2022.
Ballon d’Or nominees in full
Men’s award
Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey, Inter)
Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)
Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter )
Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City / Chelsea)
Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Women’s award
Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai RCB / Orlando Pride)
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)
Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona / Chelsea)
Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona / Arsenal)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain / Olympique Lyonnais)
Grace Geyoro (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Manuela Giugliano (Italy, AS Roma)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
Patricia Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
Giulia Gwinn (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Olympique Lyonnais)
Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City)
Lindsey Horan (USA, Olympique Lyonnais)
Lauren James (England, Chelsea)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
Sjoeke Nüsken (Germany, Chelsea)
Ewa Pajor (Poland, VfL Wolfsburg / Barcelona)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona)
Gabi Portilho (Brazil, Corinthians)
Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
Mayra Ramírez (Colombia, Levante / Chelsea)
Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit)
Lea Schüller (Germany, Bayern Munich)
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns)
Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars)
Tarciane (Brazil, Corinthians / Houston Dash)
Glódís Viggósdóttir (Iceland, Bayern Munich)
Yashin Trophy
Diogo Costa (Portugal, Porto)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gregor Kobel (Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund)
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (France, Milan)
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia, Valencia)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
Kopa Trophy
Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina, Manchester United)
Arda Güler (Turkey, Real Madrid)
Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast, Salzburg)
Kobbie Mainoo (England, Manchester United)
João Neves (Portugal, Benfica / Paris Saint-Germain)
Savinho (Brazil, Girona / Manchester City)
Mathys Tel (France, Bayern Munich)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Men’s coach award
Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)
Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain national team)
Gian Piero Gasperini (Italy, Atalanta)
Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City)
Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina national team)
Women’s coach award
Sonia Bompastor (France, Olympique Lyonnais / Chelsea)
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Corinthians / Brazil national team)
Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona / Washington Spirit)
Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA national team)
Filipa Patão (Portugal, Benfica)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England national team)
Men club of the year award
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Girona (Spain)
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Manchester City (England)
Real Madrid (Spain)
Women’s club of the year award
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
NJ/NY Gotham (USA)
Olympique Lyonnais (France)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
