Cristiano Ronaldo, a 37-year-old Portuguese football icon, has the highest number of Ballon d’Or nominations in the history of the prestigious award.
On Friday night, the 30 male footballers nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or were revealed, and Cristiano Ronaldo was one of them.
In the 2021/22 season, Ronaldo, who is now 37, once again excelled, increasing his total tally as far as a nomination for the award is concerned.
His heroics for Manchester United in the Champions League helped him become the all-time leading scorer in international football history. He also scored 18 goals in the Premier League.
He scored 32 goals overall in 49 games, which is a fantastic return. He has maintained his remarkable run of being named to the Ballon d’Or shortlist each season since 2004.
He has now qualified for the Ballon d’Or shortlist 18 times in a row. That’s ridiculous.
We compiled a list when the nominees were announced on Friday night, and with Ronaldo’s streak in mind, we’ve listed the ten players with the most Ballon d’Or nominations in history.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 18
Will Ronaldo receive 20 nominations for the Ballon d’Or? Don’t wager against him. 37-year-old Ronaldo is still accomplishing amazing things in elite football.
Lionel Messi – 15
After a lackluster 2021/22 season at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was unable to win his 16th nomination. With seven, he holds the record for most Ballon d’Or victories.
Paolo Maldini – 13
Maldini was one of the best defenders of all time, thus it’s unfortunate he was never awarded the Ballon d’Or. In 1994 and 2003, he came in third.
Johan Cruyff – 12
Three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974, Cruyff was the winner.
Franz Beckenbauer – 12
Double Ballon d’Or winner Beckenbauer is a legend in Germany.
Karim Benzema – 12
For Benzema, it’s undoubtedly fortunate that he has not won the Ballon d’Or after 12 nominations. In October, he is the clear favorite to win his first Ballon d’Or award.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 11
Zlatan hasn’t yet retired despite turning 41 in October. He may add to his 11 Ballon d’Or nominations, however, it is doubtful.
Gianluigi Buffon – 11
Buffon has received more Ballon d’Or nominations than any other goalkeeper.
Neymar – 9
Neymar was unable to increase his total because he was not selected for the 2022 award shortlist.
Thierry Henry – 9
Henry, one of the best strikers of the twenty-first century, came in second place in the 2003 edition.
Who has received the most Ballons d’Or awards?
Messi has won the most Ballon d’Ors in the award’s history. The award has been won many times by ten different players, with Messi leading the way with seven triumphs.
Cristiano Ronaldo, his fiercest competitor, is in second and has won it five times.
Who has the all-time highest Ballon d’Or Nominations?
With 18 nominations, Ronaldo leads the field and has five victories. He has now qualified for the Ballon d’Or shortlist 19 times in a row. That is a lot.
How many Ballons d’Or does Cristiano Ronaldo have?
Cristiano Ronaldo, a football player from Portugal, has won five Ballon d’Or/FIFA Ballon d’Or honors in his career, which is the most of any European player.
Ronaldo, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, holds the records for the most goals and assists in the UEFA Champions League (140 and 42, respectively), the most goals in the UEFA European Championship (14), its qualification stage (31), the FIFA Club World Cup (7), the most goals in a UEFA Champions League season (17), the most goals at the international level (115), and the most appearances for a European national team (60).
For club and country, he has scored a record 812 goals in his senior career. He is also one of the rare players with over 1,100 registered professional outings.
