Cristiano Ronaldo, undoubtedly one of the greatest soccer players of all time, has graced the field throughout his exceptional career in Europe, bringing jubilation and moments of celebration to his fans. Now, he continues his pursuit in the Saudi Pro League with the Riyadh-based club Al-Nassr.
Recently, the Al-Nassr star became the highest-earning player of the year 2023. Being a phenomenal sportsperson, CR7 maintained peak performance for nearly two decades. He is also renowned for his charitable work and donations. Interestingly, he sold one of his Ballon d’Or awards for a noble cause.
Cristiano Ronaldo once sold his Ballon d’Or replica
The former Real Madrid talisman is the second player with the second-highest number of Ballon d’Or awards, boasting five accolades to his name. Ronaldo clinched his first award in 2008 with Manchester United and went on to add four more during his time with Los Blancos.
Ronaldo trails only behind Lionel Messi, who has three more Ballon d’Or awards than the Portuguese superstar. Messi extended his lead with a record-breaking eighth Ballon d’Or award on October 30.
Notably, there’s an interesting story related to his first Ballon d’Or, which he won at Real Madrid in 2013. Ronaldo no longer possesses the original Golden Ball accolade but instead, he has a replica of it.
The Portuguese star decided to donate one of his plaques to a charitable cause, which was later auctioned by the Make-A-Wish Foundation—an NGO working for children’s welfare through various programs and campaigns. Subsequently, the Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer placed the highest bid of $645,000 at a charity auction in London.
Ronaldo has regularly been part of donation drives. Earlier this year, he contributed to humanitarian aid for the victims affected by a massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
Cristiano Ronaldo once insulted ex-teammate who requested his Ballon d’Or
Cristiano Ronaldo once scratched $4 billion from Coca-Cola’s market worth with his controversial move. Adding another piece of news to his list, the 38-year-old star, in a recent turn of events, made a comment, saying, ‘Wtf. Who is this guy?’ on Instagram in response to a video clip posted by an Instagram page called ‘PT Clips,’ taking a brutal jibe at the former Sporting CP forward Fabiao Paim.
In a podcast, Paim, while talking about his time at Sporting, stated what he might have achieved after being hailed as a top-class talent. While appreciating Ronaldo’s career, he cheerfully wished to have one of Ronaldo’s five Ballon d’Or awards if he had unleashed his true potential. However, the words didn’t sit well with the Al-Nassr star, who made a savage response afterward.
What do you think of Ronaldo’s charitable gesture? Make sure to let us know in the comments section.
