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Cristiano Ronaldo has had a remarkable relationship with the Ballon d'Or. While fellow teammate Bruno Fernandes has been nominated for a chance after a brilliant year with Manchester United, Ronaldo's main rival is Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese maestro has spent over a decade taking a spot on the podium at the most prestigious individual award in football. Cristiano Ronaldo has five Ballon d'Ors to his name, mostly during his scintillating time at Real Madrid. He could be gunning for a sixth this time.
The star has struggled to keep up with Lionel Messi's dominance of the coveted award, especially in recent years. Although Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or before Messi's debut award, the Portuguese star sits behind Messi in his number of total wins. If Messi wins this Ballon d'Or, the chances of Cristiano Ronaldo winning another one becomes even lower, due to his age.
If Cristiano Ronaldo does win, he would become the oldest player to collect a Ballon d'Or. So without further ado, let's take a look at five things Ronaldo has said about the Ballon d'Or over the years:
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo on Ballon d'Or 2008
When the star was just 23-year-old, he picked up his first Ballon d'Or award, easily brushing past Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres. Cristiano Ronaldo shared his delight at the win, noting how incredible it was:
“To win this award at just 23 years of age is incredible, because I only started my career a few years ago. But it is fantastic as there were a lot of other big names in the race this year such as [Lionel] Messi, [Fernando] Torres and even Xavi. All these players could have won it, but nevertheless, I’m happy to have taken it."
The star also mentioned how unafraid he was because of the season he had had. He added:
“I was never afraid of whether or not I would win it because I was always conscious of the great year I had last season. This is one of the happiest days of my life. Those who know me or who have lived with me know that this is a dream come true for me."
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo on Ballon d'Or 2012
After the star first won the award in 2008, it would take another four years for him to surpass Lionel Messi's dominance. Messi stole the show from 2009 to 2012, winning the Ballon d'Or a record four times in a row. In the days leading up to the 2012 ceremony, Cristiano Ronaldo shared how much winning the award meant to him. He said:
"It (the Ballon d'Or) means a lot for me. If I were a judge, I would put everything in one bag and try to see what they (the contenders) have done by the year. If you speak about me and Leo, who won more things? Who played better? Who won the most important trophies? So I cannot say I deserve to win, but I think I'm in a good position."
#3 Ronaldo on the Ballon d'Or 2013
Ronaldo found it hard to cope with speculation about whether he would win the Ballon d'Or in 2013. Lionel Messi had won it four straight times, and the magician looked like he might win a fifth time as well.
Although Ronaldo won, he recollected the stress of waiting for award day to arrive. He said:
"I was not just nervous in the Espanyol game the night before - I had been nervous for weeks and all the time before it. There was huge tension for me. Everyone was talking about the Ballon d’Or. At first they said I was going to win, then I wasn’t going to win and it was going to be Franck Ribery. Everyone was talking and you try not to listen but you cannot help but be influenced by such an atmosphere."
#2 Ronaldo on the Ballon d'Or 2017
After winning his fifth Ballon d'Or and catching up with Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo claimed that he was the best player in football history. In his interview with France Football, the star noted that no other player was more complete than he was. He said:
“I’ve never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballers can do the things I can. There’s no player more complete than me. I play well with both feet, I’m quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists. There are guys who prefer Neymar or Messi. But I tell you: there’s no one more complete than me."
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo on Ballon d'Or 2019
While at Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo opened up about his Ballon d'Or chances and his desire to win more Ballon d'Or awards than Lionel Messi. Messi now has six and is currently up for a seventh. However, they each had five-a-piece when Ronaldo had his Piers Morgan interview, where he stated:
“Messi’s in the history of football. But I think I have to have six or seven or eight [Ballon d'Or awards] to be above him. I’d love it, I think I deserve it."
He further added:
“My relationship with him is, we are not friends, but we have shared this stage for 15 years. I know that he has pushed me to be a better player and I have pushed him to be a better player as well.”
