Cristiano Ronaldo finished 20th in the Ballon d’Or 2022, his joint-lowest ranking in the prestigious awards ceremony.
The five-time winner had a mixed return season at Manchester United, scoring 24 times in all competitions but failing to help the team win any silverware.
Instead, United finished sixth in the Premier League with the fewest points in the competition, with Ronaldo’s and the rest of the squad’s performances heavily scrutinized at times.
The 37-year-old received 18 nominations to finish 20th, ahead of Harry Kane (21st), Bernardo Silva (22nd), and Joshua Kimmich (25th), and matching his lowest ranking since 2005, when he tied for 20th with Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher.
Ronaldo’s struggles have continued into the current season, with only two goals in all competitions, the most recent of which was his 700th club career goal against Everton.
On the surface, a 20th-place finish in the race for football’s most coveted individual prize is a commendable effort, but it doesn’t sit well with Ronaldo, who hasn’t won the Ballon d’Or since lifting his fifth in 2017.
It follows a sixth-place finish last year, but it ensures he remains in the rankings after being nominated for the award for the 18th time, while rival Lionel Messi was left off the final shortlist entirely.
Ronaldo came close to winning a sixth Ballon d’Or when he finished second in 2018 and third in 2019, and he was not included on the final shortlist since 2003.