Cristiano Ronaldo vs Ballon d'Or – Lionel Messi controversy, bias ‘evidence', 'disrespect'

Despite his five Ballon d’Or awards, Cristiano Ronaldo’s relationship with the prestigious ceremony has been far from smooth.

The ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid ace has clinched the award in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017 – second only to Lionel Messi’s eight wins. However, Ronaldo tops the list for nominations, boasting 18 to his name.

Known for his competitive spirit, Ronaldo’s triumphs in the Ballon d’Or have often been accompanied by controversy. From peculiar fan theories about a ‘bias’ against him, to allegations of disrespect towards Messi, Ronaldo’s journey with the ceremony has always been eventful. So ahead of the 2024 ceremony on Monday evening (October 28), Express Sport delves into Ronaldo’s history with the Ballon d’Or.

‘Evidence’ of bias

In October 2023, a devoted Ronaldo fan claimed to have found ‘evidence’ of a plot to prevent the Al-Nassr forward from winning any more Ballon d’Or awards. The enthusiast presented what they believed was proof that the Ballon d’Or voting process had been biased against Ronaldo.

The intricate thread on social media platform X unfolded in eight distinctive posts, beginning with the fan proposing that Lionel Messi’s “image” may sway voters. The thread’s second entry aimed to support the initial argument by showcasing a ceremony where Ronaldo’s magazine cover image, depicting him in boxer shorts, was presented on the big screen.

A subsequent post featured former FIFA president Sepp Blatter dubbing Messi as a “good boy” and labelling Ronaldo “commander” on the field. Another post contained comments from ex-UEFA president Michel Platini, suggesting that Ronaldo was unworthy of his 2014 accolade.

The finale of the series contrasted clips of Blatter extolling Messi with footage of Ronaldo seated on the bench at a World Cup event. The ultimate message spotlighted Ronaldo’s perspective from a decade ago, quoting: “This video shows the respect and consideration that FIFA has for me, my club and my country.”

Ronaldo’s reaction to Messi

In what was a memorable moment for the ceremony, Ronaldo once displayed his competitive side after Messi won the Ballon d’Or in 2023. Messi’s remarkable World Cup success with Argentina secured him an unprecedented eighth individual title, but it ostensibly ruffled the feathers of the former Real Madrid icon.

While Ronaldo has time and again professed his profound respect for Messi, his reaction to the Argentine talisman scooping up another Ballon d’Or hinted that he might be less than thrilled. Siario AS journalist Tomas Roncero couldn’t contain his exasperation over Messi’s accolade.

He said: “Hello friends. What we knew has happened. They were going to give another Ballon d’Or to Messi. Messi has eight Ballons d’Or well, he should have five, he has the Ballons d’Or of [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi, [Robert] Lewandowski who won six trophies in one season and Haaland who was the top scorer of everything.”

Notably, Ronaldo endorsed the provocative post with a ‘like’ and further amplified the sentiment by leaving four laughing emojis as a comment.

Ronaldo ‘should be banned’ from voting

Ronaldo questioned the integrity of FIFA’s The Best award after it was handed to Messi in January 2024. The ex-Juventus star expressed his dismay after picking up the Fans’ Favourite Player prize by claiming individual gongs like The Best and the Ballon d’Or were “losing credibility”.

Danish football journalist Troels Bager Thogersen joined the fray, suggesting Ronaldo might be onto something, albeit misguided in his logic. With more than a decade’s experience casting Denmark’s vote for the Ballon d’Or, Thogersen contended that allowing players to vote is problematic since they naturally tend to favour their teammates.

The Ballon d’Or voting process underwent a significant change in 2016 when it split from FIFA, leaving only appointed journalists with the power to vote. This was in contrast to FIFA’s The Best awards, launched the same year as a rival to the Ballon d’Or, which still allows players and coaches to cast their votes.

Thogersen, however, believes this is counter-productive. “For a decade, I’ve been casting my vote for the Ballon d’Or, and one of the most positive developments was when the French organisers from France Football and FIFA decided to part ways,” he wrote.

“FIFA took the players and coaches with ‘The Best,’ and it was a massive win for the Ballon d’Or and those of us who vote for the most prestigious award in football, that we no longer had to deal with the players. Because if there’s anyone oblivious to their responsibility and should be barred from voting in awards, it’s the absolute biggest football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo himself.”

Thogersen highlighted that many footballers who participate in such awards often vote for their friends or vote tactically. For instance, Ronaldo has never once voted for Messi in either the Ballon d’Or or The Best award.

Moment branded ‘disrespectful’

A strange moment involving Ronaldo during the 2021 Ballon d’Or ceremony was labelled “disrespectful” by some fans on social media.

For the first time since 2010, Ronaldo did not make it to the top five of the Ballon d’Or. Despite his absence from the ceremony, he was still the talk of the town when organisers displayed a picture of him in his underwear alongside ex-Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on the big screen.

The photo, captured by Vanity Fair magazine before the 2010 World Cup, elicited laughter from Messi, Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe. However, the joke seemed to fall flat with half the audience remaining unresponsive. This later led to accusations of disrespect on social media from die-hard Ronaldo fans.

Ballon d’Or award sold

How important is the award to Ronaldo? The forward actually auctioned off one of his awards, meaning he now only possesses four out of his five Ballons d’Or, after selling it to Israel’s wealthiest individual.

Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or was auctioned in London, with the proceeds going to the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Idan Ofer, the richest man in Israel, secured the prize with a staggering £524,920 (€600,000) winning bid.

The recipient of the Ballon d’Or is given a replica version – which is typically donated to their club or displayed in a personal museum. However, after his victory in 2013, Ronaldo chose to donate his to charity.

Ronaldo among those to snub ceremony

Ronaldo was noticeably absent when Messi claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or in October 2023. The lack of footballing superstars at the ceremony led to speculation that Ronaldo had inadvertently orchestrated a mass boycott of the awards.

Notable absentees included 2022 winner Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Kevin De Bruyne, former winner Luka Modric, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and even Harry Kane. Among the managers not present was City’s Pep Guardiola.

However, it is more plausible that prior commitments prevented this set of superstars from attending rather than in any allegiance with Ronaldo.