Ballon d’Or 2023: Ronaldo’s Absence From Awards Explained As Messi Claims 8th Prize

• As anticipated, Lionel Messi clinched an eighth Ballon d'Or award at the gala last night
• His long-standing GOAT rival Cristiano Ronaldo missed out on a nomination for this year
• The Portuguese superstar boasts five Ballon d'Or award wins compared to Messi's eight

Vincent Garcia, the chief editor of France Football, previously shed light on the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo from the list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or Awards in this year's ceremony.

Notably, it was the first time since 2004 that the Portuguese has been absent from the roster, with the prize presented at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on October 30.

While the 38-year-old missed out on the prestigious accolade, his long-standing adversary, Lionel Messi claimed a record-extending eighth award, per Time.

Close on his heels was Erling Haaland - the Norwegian goal machine of Manchester City.

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Messi's remarkable performance throughout the year under review, including his victory at the FIFA World Cup, cemented his claim for the esteemed individual title.

However, many felt Haaland - through his 52 goals in 53 matches across all competitions and his role in Man City's historic treble campaign - could not be discounted.

Aside from the Norwegian, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, (France and Paris Saint-Germain) was also in contention for the coveted title of the 2023's best individual player.

Ronaldo's absence in 2023 Ballon d'Or explained

Strikingly absent from the list of nominees was Ronaldo, whose challenging year with Manchester United and Portugal's World Cup quarter-final exit evidently did not meet the criteria for inclusion among the elite nominees for the 2023 gala.

According to Vincent Garcia, Ronaldo's performance failed to meet the standard expected for the illustrious recognition.

“Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was not a topic of discussion within the committee. He did not shine in the World Cup and played in a tournament with less visibility, yet he is still a great player,” Garcia said, as quoted by The Nassr Zone.

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Ronaldo claims he deserves more Ballon d'Ors

Sports Brief also reported that Al-Nassr maestro, Ronaldo once expressed his belief that he deserved to win more Ballon d'Ors than long-time rival, Messi.

To put the star pair's dominance into perspective, they have won a collective 12 awards, with the Argentine carting home the honour a record seven times.

In 2019, Ronaldo voiced his ambition to add to his collection and surpass the Argentine, who had also won the prestigious award five times at the time.