Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or boycott questioned after he celebrates BOAT award

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to celebrate a new Ballon d’Or-related honour while refusing to take part in the latest awards has prompted debate over his stance towards the prestigious annual ceremony.

The Al Nassr captain was absent from the voting for the 2026 Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world’s best young player under the age of 21. The prize went to Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal at a ceremony held in London in the early hours of last Tuesday, with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane receiving the Ballon d’Or.

According to French newspaper L’Equipe, Ronaldo was expected to be among those voting for the Kopa Trophy but did not submit a ballot. France’s Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini also abstained.

It was the fifth time Ronaldo had declined to vote for the award since a public dispute in 2021 with Pascal Ferre, who was then editor-in-chief of France Football.

The row began after Ferre said in an interview that Ronaldo had told him his greatest ambition was to finish his career with more Ballon d’Or awards than his long-term rival, Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo strongly rejected those comments in a post on Instagram, accusing the former France Football editor of lying and of seeking to misuse his name.

Since then, Ronaldo has not appeared at the Ballon d’Or ceremony as a nominee, guest or voter in the Kopa Trophy selection.

Ronaldo breaks his silence

The Portugal forward recently ended that boycott after being named the greatest Ballon d’Or winner in history.

France Football announced last Wednesday that Ronaldo had won its “BOAT” award, recognising his 2008 Ballon d’Or triumph with Manchester United. He finished ahead of Messi in the vote, with the Argentine placed second for the Ballon d’Or he won in 2012 while playing for Barcelona.

About 24 hours after the announcement, Ronaldo posted on Instagram to celebrate the honour.

“Football belongs to the fans… Thank you to all the fans around the world… The Ballon d’Or award throughout history also belongs to you,” he wrote.

His decision to praise the award while continuing to stay away from Ballon d’Or events for about five years could be viewed as contradictory. However, his reference to football belonging to the fans may offer an explanation for his different approach.

Ronaldo may have been signalling his approval of the process used to decide the BOAT award, which was based on votes from supporters rather than journalists, as is the case with the Ballon d’Or.

The Portuguese player has repeatedly criticised France Football’s choices for the main award, particularly since his last victory in 2017.

Ronaldo remains the second-most successful player in Ballon d’Or history, having won the prize five times. Messi leads the standings with eight victories.