Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the highest recipients of the Ballon d’Or award. He is the only player behind Messi with the most trophies, which currently stands at five.

That said, the race for the award has been a subject of discourse and one of the talking points whenever the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate comes on. So the question, is the Portuguese in contention?

Can Ronaldo win the Ballon d’Or 2023

Well, there’s a lot that comes in when it comes to how players make the final list. Firstly, the trophy is handed to a player who acquired the highest points (votes). So for Cristiano Ronaldo, it boils down to his nomination in the initial 30-man list.

So let’s examine Ronaldo’s performance and whether he could win the Ballon d’Or in 2023.

Read: Ballon d’Or 2023 Power Rankings – Top contenders list

Europe

Goals and assists: He scored just once at Man United during his only league appearance. But he was active in the Europa League campaign, scoring twice and providing two assists before his eventual departure.

United did not win a trophy at the time, so there’s no need to talk about it.

FIFA World Cup

Fernando Santos named Ronaldo in his final 25-man list for the World Cup in Qatar and was also named team captain.

Despite a promising start in the campaign, the A Seleção suffered a shock defeat to Morocco in the semi-finals as Ronaldo’s hope of reaching the finals fell through. He scored once through the spot in the hard-fought 3-2 victory over Ghana.

Read: Best players in Saudi Arabia Pro League

Saudi Pro League

Ronaldo’s arrival at the Saudi Pro League surprised many football fans despite his rumoured move to Bayern Munich, Sporting CP, Atlético Madrid, or Real Madrid.

His first shot at a trophy in the current season was blown away as Al Nassr lost the Saudi Super Cup semi-final to Al-Ittihad. However, Al Nassr has the League and the domestic cup to play.