Why Ronaldo Wasn't Nominated For The 2023 Ballon D'or

Portuguese, Al-Nassr Player, Cristiano Ronaldo 

The Chief editor of France Football, Vincent Garcia, has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo...

The Chief editor of France Football, Vincent Garcia, has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Al-Nassr, was not included in the 2023 Ballon d'Or nomination

The 67th annual Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet on Monday night in France.

For just the second time ever, the player who had the best 2022–2023 season—rather than the calendar year—will receive the honor.

The 2023 Ballon d'Or nominations were revealed in September, with thirty nominees unveiled, featuring players such Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe. However, Ronaldo was surprisingly left out for the first time since 2004.

Unexpectedly, Ronaldo was left off for the first time since 2004.

Messi is anticipated to win his eighth Ballon d'Or tonight, according to Fabrizio Romano. Ronaldo, though, will not be able to try for his sixth. (Through Sports Brief) Garcia provided the following explanation for why the latter was not selected: "Cristiano Ronaldo's absence was not a topic of discussion within the committee," Garcia told (via Sports Brief).

"He did not shine in the World Cup and played in a tournament with less visibility, yet he is still a great player."

Ronaldo's season for both club and country was incredibly poor in the previous year. Portugal was eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinals, as he only managed one goal and lost his spot in the starting lineup during the knockout stages.

Even worse, the 38-year-old's contract was unilaterally ended in November 2022 after he only managed three goals in 16 appearances due to a falling out with Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo made a comeback in the second part of the season, scoring 14 goals in 19 games for Al-Nassr, a Saudi Pro League team. In a league with "low" visibility, it appears that France Football overlooked his accomplishments.

Ronaldo has made 14 appearances in all competitions, tallying 8 assists and 14 goals. With 25 points from 11 games, he is presently the Saudi Pro League's leading scorer and has helped his team move up to second place in the standings, four points behind Al-Hilal.

Al-Nassr are likewise unbeaten in the King Cup of Champions and AFC Champions League, . In the King Cup of Champions Round of 16 matchup with Al-Ettifaq on Tuesday, October 31, Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to score.