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What's the story?
Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has opened up about his Ballon d'Or chances, claiming that he is not going to evaluate his performances this season.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo has enjoyed a memorable 2018/19 for both club and country. The Portuguese star helped Juventus win the Italian Supercup and Serie A before guiding Portugal to victory in the UEFA Nations League.
Since arriving at Juventus last summer, the 34-year-old has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign in the Italian top flight. With 21 goals in the Serie A, there is no doubt that Ronaldo has played a pivotal role for the Bianconeri in their success. Owing to his exploits, Ronaldo won the Player of the Year award in the Serie A.
Ronaldo bagged all of Juventus' knockout goals in the Champions League but the Old Lady suffered a shock exit from the competition in the quarter-final against Ajax. For Portugal, Ronaldo scored a sensational hat-trick in the semi-finals of the Nations League to ensure their place in the finals.
Like Ronaldo, his competitors, namely Lionel Messi and Virgil van Dijk, have also enjoyed superb campaigns for their respective teams. Messi ended up winning the European Golden Shoe and Pichichi award and he was the top scorer in the recently concluded Champions League campaign as well. Meanwhile, van Dijk played the most crucial role for Liverpool in their Champions League triumph.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo insists that there has not been a bad phase in his career, asking what more could he do to win the Ballon d'Or.
Speaking in an interview with Mundo Deportivo as quoted by Fox Sports, Ronaldo said:
“I’ve won three competitions, I’ve been fine, as always. Throughout my career there has not been a time when I have played badly and this year has not been different."
“In 16 years the numbers speak for themselves. What else can I do? Do I deserve the Golden Ball ? I do not know. I leave that to you, who are the ones who evaluate my performance. I’m not going to value myself.”
What's next?
Ronaldo will enjoy a much-needed break before focusing on Juventus' pre-season friendlies in July.
