The planned decoration ceremony for Cristiano Ronaldo by the Portuguese president, scheduled for Tuesday, has been postponed by a week due to the passing of football legend Eusebio. Eusebio, of African origin, passed away on Saturday night in Lisbon, leading to a wave of emotion in Portugal and the global football community. The Portuguese presidency, in consultation with the Portuguese Football Federation, decided to delay the ceremony.
President Cavaco Silva intends to honor Ronaldo for becoming “a symbol of Portugal throughout the world, contributing to the international influence of his country through his example of tenacity for new generations.” Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be appointed as a grand officer of the Order of the Infante Dom Henri, an award created in 1960 for the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, a significant figure in Portuguese colonial expansion.
The rescheduled ceremony will take place on January 20 at 3:00 p.m. GMT at the Belem presidential palace in Lisbon. This will follow the announcement of the winner of the 2013 Ballon d’Or, scheduled for January 13 in Zurich, Switzerland, where Cristiano Ronaldo is a finalist along with Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry. Ronaldo is considered the favorite for the 2013 Ballon d’Or, given his outstanding performance in the play-off for the 2014 World Cup against Sweden, where he scored four crucial goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo also paid a heartfelt tribute to Eusebio, expressing that Eusebio was content to pass away after witnessing a World Cup on African soil.
