Cristiano Ronaldo: Analysing Al Nassr Superstar's Place in 2023 Ballon d'Or Vote

• Lionel Messi has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Ballon d'Or
• The Argentine veteran fended off both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe
• The triumph has also solidified Messi's lead over rival, Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi secured his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or award on Monday night, driven by his remarkable victory with Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.

This latest achievement has placed the Inter Miami Captain ahead of Manchester City's striking sensation, Erling Haaland in the official awards rankings.

The 36-year-old also clinched the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain before departing in the summer to join David Beckham's MLS club.

Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, boasts an impressive record of 19 consecutive Ballon d'Or nominations, consistently making it to the shortlist every year from the age of 19 to 37.

However, despite this remarkable feat, his total number of wins now falls three short of his long-standing rival.

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One noteworthy achievement that still sets the Portuguese star apart from Messi is his Puskas Award win.

This accolade is presented to the player, whether male or female, who is deemed to have scored the most aesthetically significant or most beautiful goal of the year, per talkSPORT.

Sports Brief takes at look at Ronaldo's performance in the 2023 Ballon d'Or vote and if he was placed.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or rankings

Ronaldo made a move to Al-Nassr to compete in the Saudi Pro League shortly after his Portugal national team exited the Qatar World Cup last year, per Al Jazeera.

The 38-year-old remained eligible for the 2023 Ballon d'Or despite this because he had already played for Manchester United early in the 2022/23 season.

This ensured he was actively involved in club football from the outset of the assessment period, aligning with the commencement of the European club season.

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Consequently, journalists had his performances to evaluate when casting their votes.

Ronaldo showcased his talent by netting 34 goals in 39 appearances for Al-Nassr and he played a pivotal role in securing victory in the Arab Club Champions Cup, scoring a crucial brace in the final against their rivals, Al-Hilal.

Nonetheless, these accomplishments did not suffice to secure his candidacy for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award. In fact, for the first time since 2003, he was omitted from the 30-man shortlist for the coveted award.

Cristiano Ronaldo's historical Ballon d'Or placements

Editor's note: Ronaldo would have finished beyond his lowest-ever Ballon d'Or ranking this year, had he been included. As it is, he missed the top 30 and would likely have featured much further down due to Portugal's World Cup quarter-final exit and Nations League elimination.

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Why Messi did not deserve Ballon d'Or

As previously reported and analysed, Messi won the Ballon d'Or award for an unprecedented eighth time.

There have been dissenting voices who have contended that the Argentine does not merit this accolade.

Sports Brief has listed four reasons why some feel Messi should not have won the Ballon d'Or this year.