Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he is not obsessed with winning the Ballon d’Or for a second time in January despite a series of scintillating performances that have made him the strong favourite to win the award.
Ronaldo scored his fifth hat-trick of the season for club and country against Sweden in midweek to ensure Portugal will travel to next year’s World Cup in Brazil and take his tally for the campaign to 31 goals in just 21 appearances.
FIFA’s decision to extend the date for votes to be cast for the award from November 15 to November 29 is also expected to weigh heavily in Ronaldo’s favour with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, winner of the award for the past four years, sidelined until the end of the year with a hamstring injury.
And the former Manchester United man, who was previously crowned World Player of the Year in 2008, refused to confirm rumours that he was considering not even attending the awards ceremony after reacting angrily to comments FIFA president Sepp Blatter made recently about his demeanour on the field.
“I don’t think a lot about the Ballon d’Or. I know that it is handed out in January, but I cannot say that I will not go,” he told Spanish radio station COPE.
“I prefer to not say anything because things don’t depend solely on me. I am not obsessed with the Ballon d’Or. We will see what happens.”
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