Aheed Abrar
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received zero votes as he finished 20th in Ballon d’Or ranking
Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo received zero votes as he finished 20th in the Ballon d’Or 2022 ranking, according to The Mirror. Karim Benzema ended up lifting the prestigious award.
It was the French forward’s first time lifting the golden ball after an impressive last season with Real Madrid. Former Liverpool star Sadio Mane and Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bryne made up the top three.
Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or a total of five times in his career. His first was in 2008 when he was at United. Later, he joined Los Blancos in 2009. And the 37-year-old won four more at the Madrid-based club.
The Portuguese signed for Los Blancos in the same transfer window as Benzema. And the 37-year-old enjoyed fruitful campaigns with the France international before moving to Juventus in the summer of 2018.
While Benzema has gone on to grow from strength to strength since Ronaldo’s departure, the Portugal international is evidently in the final stages of his career.
Upon his return to United last year, the expectations surrounding the 37-year-old were high. And he delivered, ending the 2021/22 campaign as the Red Devils’ leading goalscorer.
However, with the arrival of Erik ten Hag at the end of last season, Ronaldo has seen his influence dwindle. The Portuguese has lost his place in the Old Trafford side’s starting XI under the Dutch manager.
Ten Hag has preferred the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. And the frustration has been evident on Ronaldo’s face. The 37-year-old walked down the tunnel before the full-time whistle as he was on the bench for the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
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What next for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner at United? Only time will tell. It remains to be seen whether the Portuguese stays at the club beyond the January transfer window.
