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Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not attend the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, according to Portuguese TV channel SIC.
France Football will announce the winner of this year's Ballon d'Or later tonight. There has been a lot of talk about who deserves to bag the accolade this time around, with fans, pundits, players and coaches having their say.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi has been tipped to win his seventh Ballon d'Or by many. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Chelsea midfielder Jorginho are also top candidates to win the award.
Real Madrid talisman Karim Benzema and Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah have also been part of the conversation. One major player who could miss out on the award this year is Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was the top scorer in Serie A last season, having netted 29 goals. However, he could not help Juventus and Portugal retain their Serie A and European Championship titles respectively.
There is a consensus that the likes of Messi, Lewandowski and Jorginho have had better years than Ronaldo, who is likely to miss out on a place on the podium. And if reports are to be believed, the 36-year-old will not attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Manchester United have a big Premier League game against Arsenal coming up on Thursday. The Red Devils have also appointed former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick as their interim manager.
It appears to be a big week for the Old Trafford outfit and Ronaldo could feel that he is better off staying with the team than attending the Ballon d'Or ceremony in France.
Mohamed Salah will join Cristiano Ronaldo in not attending Ballon d'Or gala
Cristiano Ronaldo is not the only major player who is not expected to be in attendance today.
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has decided not to attend the Ballon d'Or gala today, according to reports. The Reds face arch-rivals Everton on Wednesday and the Egyptian appears to be prioritizing the trip to Goodison Park and the preparations around it.
Salah scored 31 goals and provided six assists from 51 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool last term. However, many believe the likes of Messi, Lewandowski and Jorginho are more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than the Liverpool forward.
The winger, though, will be hopeful of earning a place on the podium next year. He has scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 18 appearances for Liverpool this campaign.
