Cristiano Ronaldo finished as the top-scorer in football for the year 2023 and won Dubai’s Globe Soccer Award for the best goal scorer of the year recently. However, the legendary Portuguese footballer took aim at Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best Awards. Notably, both awards were won by his long-time rival Lionel Messi. Many were surprised after the Argentine lifted both the trophies beating Kylian Mbappe of PSG and Erling Haaland of Manchester City who won the UEFA Champions League and Premier League in 2023.
“I think that, in a way these awards are losing credibility. We have to analyse the entire season. It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappe, I simply no longer believe in these awards and it’s not because I won at the globe soccer but these are facts, the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. They can’t take this trophy away from me because it’s a reality, So it makes me even happier, because the numbers are facts,” Ronaldo said to the paper. (Cristiano Ronaldo Buys ‘Billionaires Island’ In Dubai – Report)
The 39-year-old Portuguese star expressed criticism towards the awards, stating that they are not bestowed based on factual considerations. While addressing the issue, the footballer refrained from singling out any specific player and clarified that his comments were not intended to suggest that Messi did not deserve to win the award.
In 2023, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored 54 goals for his country and his current club, Al Nassr. English striker Harry Kane stood in second place with 52 for his country and newly joined club Bayern Munich. PSG and French attacker Kylian Mbappe scored 52 goals. Meanwhile, City and Norwegian striker Erling Halaand placed 50 goals.
This gesture from Cristiano Ronaldo pointing and saying Haaland deserves it is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/mD9yeOZEz3
TC (@totalcristiano) January 19, 2024
While speaking to the Saudi media outlet SSC Sports, Ronaldo said that he was very happy to achieve the milestone and help his club and country.
“I’m very happy, it was a good year for me as an individual and as a collective. I scored so many goals, I helped the team a lot at Al-Nassr and for the national team. I feel good, I feel happy and next year I will try to do it again,” Ronaldo was quoted by Goal.com as saying.
Ronaldo is considered one of the best footballers in the world, and he has set a few records which are hard to be broken.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo recently joined the Saudi club Al Nassr in January 2023, and he has played 50 matches for his new team and scored 44 goals. In the ongoing season of the Saudi Pro League, the Portuguese has appeared in 18 matches for the Riyadh-based club and scored 20 goals. Ronaldo also made nine assists in the 2023-24 season for Al Nassr.
Earlier, the Portuguese superstar returned to his boyhood club Manchester United in 2021 after leaving Juventus, however, his stint in the English club did not last very long after he lambasted the United coach Erik Ten Hag in a controversial interview with Piers Morgan. After Ronaldo claimed that Ten Hag did not respect the Portuguese player, United terminated the 38-year-old’s contract. In his second run at United, CR7 played 54 matches and scored 27 goals.
