5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo won’t win another Ballon d'Or

Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d'Or awards.

#3 Manchester United's struggles

Manchester United are nothing to write home about right now.
Manchester United are nothing to write home about right now.

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United after leaving Juventus this summer. But it doesn't look like it was a good decision. Although the 36-year-old has had a decent start to his campaign, the overall performances of the team have been nothing to write home about.

Manchester United are a lowly eighth in the Premier League table, winning only five of their 12 games so far. The Red Devils are already out of the EFL Cup following a 1-0 loss to West Ham in September. They also have a mountain to climb to qualify for the Champions League knockout stage.

As things stand, the Premier League giants still have a long way to go to match other European elites. There's a huge possibility they could fail to qualify for the Champions League next term. If that happens, that would seriously jeopardise Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or chances.


#2 Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal haven't been convincing enough in recent times

Cristiano Ronaldo could miss the FIFA World Cup next year, which would end his Ballon d'Or hopes for 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo could miss the FIFA World Cup next year, which would end his Ballon d'Or hopes for 2022.

Portugal appear to be going in the same direction as Manchester United right now - nowhere. Both teams have failed to impress despite comprising incredible players across positions.

At the moment, the 2016 Euro champions are pale shadows of their illustrious selves. They've found themselves in a very tight position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after losing to Serbia at home in the qualifiers last week. They've lost an automatic qualification spot, and will now need to navigate the treacherous playoff route to seal their berth in the quadrennial tournament.

Performances at the FIFA World Cup tend to impact major awards. Should Portugal fail to make it to the competition, Cristiano Ronaldo can simply forget about winning the Ballon d'Or award next year. It goes without mentioning that as he ages in the subsequent years, his chances would keep diminishing.


#1 There is intense competition for the Ballon d'Or award

Cristiano Ronaldo has got serious competition for the Ballon d'Or award right now.
Cristiano Ronaldo has got serious competition for the Ballon d'Or award right now.

While Cristiano Ronaldo has slowed down in recent years, his major rivals have raised their games, and more names have joined the queue. Lionel Messi, for instance, is enjoying his brightest year with Argentina right now, shortly after leading them to Copa America 2021 triumph.

The Albiceleste have qualified for the FIFA World Cup, and are considered among the favourites to win the tournament. The likes of Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah and Karim Benzema have become unstoppable - more efficient and more consistent than Ronaldo right now.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden have also announced themselves in the scene. With these names taking centre-stage, Ronaldo might lose out in the battle for the Ballon d'Or award in the coming years.

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