Understanding Ronaldo's Controversial Opinion on the Ballon d'Or

The Portuguese megastar forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, has brought the Ballon d'Or debate to a level beyond just the competition between Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele. The five-time recipient of the world's best player award has entered the realm of essence. For him, the Ballon d'Or has lost its value in recent times.

The debate over the winner of the next Ballon d'Or has intensified following the UEFA Nations League semifinal between Spain and France last Friday. Yamal has once again emerged as a favorite in the discussion after successfully leading Spain to the final with a contribution of two goals. Dembele's prospects have diminished alongside France's failure.

Coincidentally, Spain will face Portugal in the final match. Portugal is led by Ronaldo, the Ballon d'Or icon of the 21st century. Few are more entitled to comment on that individual award than he is. Ronaldo was also asked to comment on who deserves to win in the next edition.

Ronaldo did not choose Yamal or Dembele, but only provided hints about the individual who should win. "Whoever wins must be from the championship team. The Ballon d'Or winner should come from the team that wins the Champions League. The award has lost its value," he said on Saturday (7/6/2025) WIB.

"CR7," as he is called, referred to Dembele as the last Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain. Yamal only managed to take Barcelona to the semifinals of the largest tournament in Europe. Ronaldo remains consistent with his stance previously expressed in the debate over past Ballon d'Or winners.

Last year, the Ballon d'Or was won by Manchester City midfielder, Rodri. He was deemed deserving of the award after successfully leading Spain to victory in the 2024 European Championship. Another candidate, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, finished in second place in the voting despite being the winner of the Champions League.

According to Ronaldo, Vinicius deserved to win more. "That result is unfair. I am saying this in front of everyone. They gave it to Rodri. He deserves it too, but they should have awarded it to Vinicius, who succeeded in winning the Champions League and scored in the final," he stated last December.

Ronaldo's latest statement is somewhat controversial. Considering that not all of his Ballon d'Or trophies were won after securing the Champions League title. He failed to lead Real Madrid to victory in the Champions League during the 2012-2013 season, yet emerged as the award winner. His remarks seem to undermine his own achievements.

Ronaldo won in 2013 due to his exceptionally dominant individual performance. Not to mention the Champions League, he did not even secure a single major trophy with Madrid that season. He became the talk of the town thanks to his phenomenal contribution of 66 goals in 56 matches for club and country over the calendar year.

The player who successfully led Bayern Munich to triumph in the Champions League, Franck Ribery, only finished in third place in the voting. It is understandable that Ribery considers CR7's statement to be merely a joke. "So you have to be a Champions League champion to win the Ballon d'Or?" Ribery remarked on social media.

So, has the Ballon d’Or lost its value? The award was first given in 1956 by the French magazine, France Football. Its purpose was to appreciate the best player in Europe in the previous season. The trophy was only given to European footballers until 1995, when it changed to be more universal.

For 12 years, since 1995, players from various parts of the world could be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. The requirement was that they played for European clubs. It was only in 2007 that players from any club and country could receive the award. This is what prevented Diego Armando Maradona and Pelé from ever winning.

Ronaldo's statement is not entirely accurate, but it is also not completely wrong. The Champions League, as the largest club tournament in Europe, has indeed become one of the main benchmarks for evaluating players during the early years of the Ballon d'Or. Only the European Cup, an international tournament, surpasses achievements in the Champions League.

However, achievements in the Champions League are not the main factor in the assessment. It is evident that seven out of ten early Ballon d'Or winners did not win the "Big Ears" trophy in the previous season. The winner of the first edition, Stanley Matthews, was even chosen for his influence on football until his forties and not related to trophies.

The criteria for assessment each year can vary significantly over time. For instance, in 2006, defender Fabio Cannavaro won the award after leading Italy to a World Cup victory. He triumphed over top strikers who had almost always emerged as winners. It was only after that, in 2023, that Lionel Messi won for similar reasons.

The unclear standard is due to subjective factors. The winner is chosen by selected journalists from many countries. France Football, which provides a list of player nominations, only suggests three aspects for assessment: individual achievement, team success and player attitude.

Everything depends on the subjectivity of the voters and the narrative being constructed. Currently, Yamal is touted as the strongest candidate not only because he scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists last season. His age, being only 17 years old, makes his value appear very high. Once he reaches 25 years of age, the narrative surrounding Yamal may not be as impactful as it is now.

As a result, debate is inevitable. Subjectivity will certainly give rise to differing views. There are no rigid standards. Ronaldo can be both right and wrong. The essence of the award is merely to appreciate the individual player. Ironically, this essence contradicts the principle of football, which is a team game. (AP/REUTERS)