Football

Ballon d’Or hat-trick awaits Ronaldo

Written by Ben Blaschke

It has been an amazing year for Cristiano Ronaldo. After reclaiming the European Champions League trophy with Real Madrid, the Portuguese talisman helped the national team to the top of Europe – winning the European Cup title for the first time in its history. It is also the first major trophy for Portugal, a country that has produced so many great players but has never been good enough or resilient enough to match it with the world’s big guns.

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Twelve years ago, in 2004, Ronaldo – at the time a rising superstar with Manchester United – fell short of winning the European Cup on home soil when Portugal lost to dark horse Greece in the final. Ronaldo cried after losing that final and cried again when he went off with injury in the first half against host France two days ago.

But there would be no repeat of that 2004 loss as Portugal striker Eder scored a stunning goal in extra time to upset a French side boasting the likes of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann.

These two major titles almost assure that Ronaldo will win the FIFA Ballon d’Or this year. The 2013 and 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or winner has been outshone by Lionel Messi in the past, the Argentinian having won the award four times since 2010. But in a year where Messi missed out Champions League final and announced his retirement from the national team after losing the Copa America final against Chile, Ronaldo can finally savor the taste of a truly deserved winner.

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At the age of 31, Ronaldo faces many contenders to be named the world’s best player. Messi, three years younger than Ronaldo, is his old foe. But we also have young blood coming through like Griezmann, Pogba and Kevin De Bruyne. Ronaldo’s pursuit of success, which enables him to sacrifice a lot in his personal life, must surely have won over fans who may have been skeptical towards him in the past because of his narcissistic way of playing. Griezmann, who lost to Ronaldo at club level with Athletic Madrid in the Champions League final and again at national level in the Euro Cup final, agreed that Ronaldo should be the automatic choice for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Ronaldo is winning over both opponents and fans throughout his career, but this latest medal for Portugal will be the win he has craved more than any other.