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It is quite unfortunate for Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who despite his incredible efforts and achievements during the term failed to clinch the Ballon d'Or award for the third straight year.
The Portuguese was leading the race to claim the award for the third time in a row, having made history by guiding Real Madrid to claim their record third consecutive UEFA Champions League triumph during the year as well as finishing on top of the goalscoring charts of the European tournament for the sixth straight season.
However, his failure to lead his nation to a remarkable height during the FIFA World Cup tournament in Russia did a great harm to his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, eventually losing the accolade to his ex-teammate Luka Modric who succeeded in leading Croatia to their first ever World Cup final during the summer.
Despite narrowly missing out on the accolade this year, Ronaldo is yet to give up on his desire to win the prestigious prize again in his career. As a matter of fact, the Portuguese is well on track to claim the Ballon d'Or award again and below are 5 reasons why:
#3 He still wants more
It is true that Cristiano Ronaldo always fights in order to win the Ballon d'Or award every year and it is clear enough for everyone to realize that because he doesn't shy away from admitting it.
Speaking to French Magazine, France Football in the build-up to the last edition of Ballon d'Or gala, the Juventus forward reiterated his desire to be named the best footballer in the world once again during the interview. He was quoted saying:
"I already know, in my heart, that I am one of the best players in history. Of course, I want to win, this sixth Ballon d'Or!
"It would be a lie to tell you the opposite. I work for that. As I work to score goals and win games without being an obsession. The Ballon d'Or, yes, I think I deserve it."
With such a strong desire to win the award, there is a huge possibility for Cristiano Ronaldo to add more Ballon d'Or accolades to his cabinet in the future.
#2 His determination to keep fighting
If there is anything that has actually kept Cristiano Ronaldo on top of the game for the past 11 years, it is definitely his rigid determination to keep on competing at the highest level.
The Portuguese has always been a very ambitious superstar who always embraces challenges and keeps reaching new milestones throughout his career - just as we saw during his time in the Portuguese League, in the Spanish La Liga and in the English Premier League.
As a matter of fact, his decision to quit Real Madrid for Juventus at the age of 33 recently instead of completing a mega-money move to China or the MLS shows that he is truly determined to continue fighting at the top of the game.
With this kind of determination, Ronaldo has been a conqueror throughout his football career and the fact that he is even more determined than ever to add more Ballon d'Or awards to his name means that he cannot be written off just yet.
#1 He is not slowing down
While it is true that determination and the desire for success helps a lot when one is pursuing a set goal, there is always the need to add hard work and dedication in order to reach one's target - just as Cristiano Ronaldo is showing us this season.
At 33, the Portuguese decided to leave Real Madrid for Juventus this summer and while many expected him to start declining, he has been going from strength to strength in the Italian top flight - breaking records upon records and proving that he is still the man to beat.
In just 19 matches, the former Manchester United winger has struck a whopping 11 times and set up an impressive 7 goals for his new club across all competitions so far this season and with such incredible performances, it is quite evident that he is not slowing down. Those are the kind of performances that win you a Ballon d'Or!
