Cristiano Ronaldo has the slimmest of slim chances of winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or. It’s unfamiliar territory for the Manchester United star who has become accustomed to being either there or thereabouts when competing for what many fans herald as the premier individual prize in football.
However, as gutted as Ronaldo will no doubt be playing second fiddle to the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and Mohamed Salah, the 37-year-old can at least console himself with his proud personal history with the award.
Ronaldo is, after all, the second-most decorated player in the prize's history having been named the best male footballer of the year in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
By comparison, the trio of Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten are the only players to have collected a hat-trick of Ballon d'Or titles, while Lionel Messi - of course - continues to lead the way on seven gongs.