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Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction. The Portuguese icon remains one of the greatest player in the history of the game and along with Lionel Messi, he has enjoyed unprecedented domination for over a decade.
Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Ors in his glittering career but the 34-year-old is not one of the favourites to win the award in 2019. Considering pundits and critics, Blaugrana captain Lionel Messi and Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk are the overwhelming favourites after enjoying a stellar campaign with their respective clubs.
This is an extremely unfamiliar situation for Ronaldo as the Juventus star has always been on the podium every year since 2007, except in 2010. He has won every coveted trophy during his tenure at Manchester United and Real Madrid before moving to Juventus last summer.
It goes without saying that Ronaldo has played a pivotal role for the Old lady, winning two trophies with them so far. He has helped the Bianconeri win another Serie A title and the Italian SuperCup. He has also led Portugal to Nations League triumph, scoring a sensational hat-trick in the semi-finals against Switzerland.
Although Ronaldo is not the player he once was, he has a habit of proving his naysayers wrong. He can still prove the critics wrong to win his 6th Ballon d'Or.
But let us take a look at three reasons why the Portuguese star may not win the Ballon d'Or despite his Nations League triumph.
#3. More competitors
Over the last decade, both Messi and Ronaldo continuously proved that they were head and shoulders above their rivals until Luka Modric broke the duopoly last year. The competition is far more this year, with Messi and Van Dijk leading the race.
Kylian Mbappe ended his season just behind Messi in the European Golden Shoe race, despite PSG's struggles in Europe. On the other hand, Bernardo Silva was pivotal for both his club and country as he won the most number of trophies with his teams in the year so far. Silva was the player of the tournament in the Nations League and he was also one of the crucial players in City squad which won the domestic treble.
Moreover, the likes of Eden Hazard, Sadio Mane and Raheem Sterling had a terrific campaign. While Hazard guided Chelsea to a top three finish in the Premier League and to Europa League triumph, both Sterling and Mane were one of the best players for their respective teams.
#2. European failure
It goes without saying that Juventus splashed the cash on Ronaldo for more success in Europe. The former Real Madrid star remains the highest scorer in the Champions League so far and the Old Lady won seven consecutive Serie A titles before Ronaldo's arrival. The 'challenge' Ronaldo spoke of was never about dominating the Italian top flight but helping the Bianconeri in their quest for European Glory.
Ronaldo was an obvious boost to the Bianconeri side but despite his best efforts, they were knocked out from Quarter-final stages in the competition. The five time Ballon d'Or winner scored all of Juventus' knockout goals but the Old Lady were handed a defeat by a young and talented Ajax team.
Juventus was one of the favourites and they probably had the best chance to win it in 2018/19 season. Heavyweights like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSG were all knocked out in Round of 16 stages but the Bianconeri failed to capitalise on their chance.
There is no doubt that the Champions League plays a pivotal role in the individual awards and Juventus' failures will hinder Ronaldo's chances of winning the award.
#1. Individual Statistics
Ronaldo endured one of his worst season as he ended the season with just 31 goals for both club and country. With 21 goals in the Serie A, Ronaldo was fourth in the list of top scorers behind Fabio Quagliarella, Duvan Zapata and Krzysztof Piatek.
Although Ronaldo won two trophies with the Bianconeri, the Portuguese ace ended 2018/19 with just 28 goals in all competitions for Juventus, which is his one of the worst returns in the past decade.
On the other hand, Ronaldo's arch rival Messi is way ahead. With 36 goals in the league, Messi won his sixth European Golden Shoe and Pichichi award. The Argentine wizard also ended as the top scorer of the Champions League in this campaign with 12 goals.
Even Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema had better individual statistics than Ronaldo this campaign, which shows that Ronaldo's individual exploits is not nearly enough to win the Ballon d'Or.
