Cristiano Ronaldo Insists Ballon d’Or Has Lost Value, Shares Fond Memories Of Camp Nou

Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has argued that the Ballon d’Or award has lost its credibility in recent years.

Cristiano Ronaldo noted that he wasn’t shocked by Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr. not winning the 2024 award. Recall that the Brazilian winger had a remarkable season with Real Madrid, netting 25 goals and providing 12 assists in 40 matches.

He played a key role in his team’s success, helping them secure the Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de España titles. Despite that, he lost the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City midfielder, Rodri.

Ronaldo acknowledged Vinicius’s achievements, stating, “He won the Champions League and scored goals. Vini Jr. deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, but I’m not surprised… it lacks credibility,” as reported by journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Furthermore, Ronaldo shared his fond memories of playing at Camp Nou, despite the challenging atmosphere from Barcelona fans. During his career as a Real Madrid player, he cultivated a fierce rivalry with Lionel Messi, adding to the excitement of El Clasico.

Throughout his career, Ronaldo made 20 appearances at Camp Nou, scoring 20 goals in 34 matches against Barcelona, with a notable 15 goals scored at their home ground.

Reflecting on the crowd’s reaction, Ronaldo stated, “I loved playing in the Camp Nou. They booed me, they insulted me, and I loved it!”

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has addressed the ongoing discussions about him reaching 1,000 career goals, expressing that the conversation is becoming a bit tiresome.

Currently, he has tallied 923 goals in 1,261 matches, making him the only player in football history to surpass 900 official goals. While only 24 players have achieved over 500 career goals in the sport’s 150-year history, just four of them are still active: Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez, and himself.

Ronaldo has been performing strongly at Al Nassr this season, with 23 goals and four assists in 25 games. While his fans eagerly await the milestone of his 1,000th goal, he emphasized that while achieving it would be fantastic, he isn’t fixated on that target.

“If I could achieve it, it would be great… but I’m not obsessed with it. It’s getting a bit annoying to talk about,” he shared via journalist Fabrizio Romano.