Cristiano Ronaldo placed 20th in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, which is one of his all-time lowest finishes at the illustrious awards ceremony.
The five-time champion had an uneventful 2021/22 season during his return to Manchester United, scoring 24 goals across all competitions but failing to lead the team to a championship.
Instead, Ronaldo’s and the rest of the team’s performances were frequently questioned as United finished sixth in the Premier League with their lowest points total in the league.
The 37-year-old received 18 nominations, placed 20th, ahead of players like Harry Kane (21st), Bernardo Silva (22nd), and Joshua Kimmich (25th), and matched his 2005 finish, when he tied for 20th with Jamie Carragher of Liverpool.
In the current campaign, Ronaldo has only been able to score twice across all competitions, the most recent of which was his 700th club career goal against Everton.
On the surface, finishing in 20th place in the competition for football’s most coveted individual award is a commendable effort, but it doesn’t sit well with Ronaldo, who hasn’t taken home the Ballon d’Or since hoisting his fifth back in 2017.
He was nominated for the award for the 18th time, maintaining his position in the rankings despite finishing in a dismal sixth place the previous year. Rival Lionel Messi, meanwhile, was left off of the final shortlist.
When he placed second in 2018 and third in 2019, Ronaldo came the closest to winning a sixth Ballon d’Or; the last time he didn’t make the final shortlist was in 2003.
