Why Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
TOI Sports Desk
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed the Ballon d’Or shortlist for a fourth straight year despite scoring 28 Saudi league goals, winning the title with Al-Nassr and scoring three World Cup goals. His omission comes as Saudi-based teammates Sadio Mané and Julián Quiñones were nominated, raising questions over how voters weighed Ronaldo’s numbers against other criteria, narratives and competition level.
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed the Ballon d’Or shortlist for a fourth straight year despite scoring 28 Saudi league goals, winning the title with Al-Nassr and scoring three World Cup goals. His omission comes as Saudi-based teammates Sadio Mané and Julián Quiñones were nominated, raising questions over how voters weighed Ronaldo’s numbers against other criteria, narratives and competition level.
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