Cristiano Ronaldo has belittled the credibility of Ballon d'Or and FIFA TheBest award, days after Lionel Messi was crowned the best player by the latter for 2023.
Ronaldo expressed that he isn't claiming that Messi didn't deserve the award, however, the numbers “don't deceive”.
Cristiano Ronaldo expressed that in considering a winner for such awards, the individuals voting or making the selections have to look at the entire season.
Speaking in an interview with Record, the football great said: “Ballon d’Or and The Best are losing credibility.
“It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappé… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. You’ve to consider the entire season.
The Portuguese added that the “numbers are facts” and as such, they should be the basis for judgment.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently won the Best Player in the Middle East for 2023 and the Maradona Award at the Globe Soccer Awards for being the top scorer of 2023, with 54 goals for club and country.
The Ballon d'Or and FIFA TheBest award for 2023 has been arguably the most criticized award handed out by the organizers in recent history, with many feeling disgruntled over the eventual winner.
In 2023, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or award and a section of people felt that it shouldn't have been so, as they claimed that Manchester City forward Erling Haaland won big trophies and was better in the timeframe under review.
FIFA also awarded Messi the FIFA TheBest award for 2022, taking into consideration what he did at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and rightly so, despite divided opinions, many still agreed with the decision.
However, the rationale behind Lionel Messi winning the 2023 FIFA The Best award has since left many in limbo, as the timeframe in review was December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, a period in which the Argentine won the Ligue 1 with Paris Saint Germain and Leagues Cup with Inter Miami.
Many felt that the 36-year-old didn't deserve to award, pointing specifically to the impact of Erling Haaland at Manchester City.
Haaland won the treble - FA Cup, Premier League, and UEFA Champions League with the Cityzens in the timeframe under review and scored 50 goals for club and country in 2023; 44 goals for Pep Guardiola's side and 6 for Norway.
Anyway, the voting was done by past footballers and you can't exclude sentiments from almost every award that doesn't have a specific parameter used in deciding the winner.
Lionel Messi had equal number of votes with Erling Haaland, but due to him receiving more votes at first place from national team captains, he was declared the FIFA TheBest Men's Player of the Year for 2023.
Ronaldo expressed that he isn't claiming that Messi didn't deserve the award, however, the numbers “don't deceive”.
Cristiano Ronaldo expressed that in considering a winner for such awards, the individuals voting or making the selections have to look at the entire season.
Speaking in an interview with Record, the football great said: “Ballon d’Or and The Best are losing credibility.
“It’s not to say that Messi didn’t deserve it, or Haaland or even Mbappé… but the numbers are there and the numbers don’t deceive. You’ve to consider the entire season.
The Portuguese added that the “numbers are facts” and as such, they should be the basis for judgment.
Cristiano Ronaldo recently won the Best Player in the Middle East for 2023 and the Maradona Award at the Globe Soccer Awards for being the top scorer of 2023, with 54 goals for club and country.
The Ballon d'Or and FIFA TheBest award for 2023 has been arguably the most criticized award handed out by the organizers in recent history, with many feeling disgruntled over the eventual winner.
In 2023, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or award and a section of people felt that it shouldn't have been so, as they claimed that Manchester City forward Erling Haaland won big trophies and was better in the timeframe under review.
FIFA also awarded Messi the FIFA TheBest award for 2022, taking into consideration what he did at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and rightly so, despite divided opinions, many still agreed with the decision.
However, the rationale behind Lionel Messi winning the 2023 FIFA The Best award has since left many in limbo, as the timeframe in review was December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, a period in which the Argentine won the Ligue 1 with Paris Saint Germain and Leagues Cup with Inter Miami.
Many felt that the 36-year-old didn't deserve to award, pointing specifically to the impact of Erling Haaland at Manchester City.
Haaland won the treble - FA Cup, Premier League, and UEFA Champions League with the Cityzens in the timeframe under review and scored 50 goals for club and country in 2023; 44 goals for Pep Guardiola's side and 6 for Norway.
Anyway, the voting was done by past footballers and you can't exclude sentiments from almost every award that doesn't have a specific parameter used in deciding the winner.
Lionel Messi had equal number of votes with Erling Haaland, but due to him receiving more votes at first place from national team captains, he was declared the FIFA TheBest Men's Player of the Year for 2023.