Cristiano Ronaldo has been facing criticism online after his absence at FIFA Ballon d’Or 2022 ceremony on October 17. The Manchester United striker was expected to attend the annual football awards but could not attend due to undisclosed reason. As Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema accepted the award for best men’s player of the year, fans wanted Ronaldo to be there. Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in 2018, but his partnership with Benzema on the field left a memorable mark on the fans.
Ballon d’Or has been dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the last 15 years. The former has won it 5 times whereas the latter has won it a record 7 times. The only exceptions were Luka Modric in 2018 and now Karim Benzema in 2022. Ballon d’Or 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Cristiano Ronaldo was Promoted to be at Ballon d’Or 2022
Days before the event, several publications and sports channels reported that Ronaldo would be at the event, even though he was placed on 20th position out of 25 best male footballers. Lionel Messi didn’t even make the cut due to underwhelming second season at PSG. The list of 25 nominees was also leaked a few days before the event which made it clear that Benzema was going to win the Ballon d’Or 2022.
It led some fans to fantasize that Ronaldo would hand the trophy to his former teammate, but instead it was Zinedine Zidane. Hearts were broken after Ronaldo did not publicly congratulate Benzema despite the hype.
Is Ronaldo Full of Himself?
Football fans have cherished the friendship between Benzema and Ronaldo during their time in Madrid. The Ballon d’Or 2022 winner assisted 47 goals for Ronaldo, more than anyone CR7 has ever played with. Many fans also shared pictures where Benzema is seen congratulating Ronaldo for his awards and achievements. So, they expected him to do the same when it was his friend’s time. However, his absence led to criticism that the veteran only cared about himself and did not bother to attend the ceremony, knowing that he was not winning. The striker also did not attend the Ballon d’Or 2018 when Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric won the award.
Did Ronaldo Congratulate Benzema In Private?
It’s not clear if CR7 has congratulated the winner in private or not. Some claimed on social media that he might have sent him a text or called, but others took it as an excuse from biased Ronaldo fans.
Karim Benzema is the 5th Frenchman and 2nd Muslim in history to win the coveted title. He scored 44 goals and assited 15 in 46 appearances across all competitions this season. Ballon d’Or Feminin (for women) went to Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas for the second consecutive time. Thibaut Courtois bagged the Yashin Trophy, given to best goalkeeper of the year. Robert Lewandowski was also able to make his mark with taking home the Gerd Muller trophy as the best striker of the season. In the end, the club of the year was given to Manchester City, who won the Premier League 2021.
