Did Cristiano Ronaldo Really Sell His 2013 Ballon d'Or Award? Here's the Truth!

The captain of Portugal's national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, has sold his 2013 Ballon d'Or to Israel's richest man, Idan Ofer, after a charity auction in 2017.

Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or on five occasions. The first was in 2008 while he was still part of Manchester United and four times as a Real Madrid player.

The 2013 award was given to Ronaldo, with Argentine player Lionel Messi and French player Franck Ribery vying for the award.

Ronaldo decided to donate the Ballon d'Or award to charity after the charity to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Ofer at the time had the winning bid worth €600,000.

It was reported that when a player wins the Ballon d'Or, they ask for the replica to be given to the club or keep it in a trophy cabinet.

In Ronaldo's case, he reportedly asked for a replica of his 2013 award to be donated to the charity auction.

Another report noted that the "real" trophy is still currently on display at Ronaldo's personal museum on his home island of Madeira.

Spanish football manager Pep Guardiola and Portuguese football manager Jose Mourinho also participated in the auction at the time.

The event included a meet and greet with the two football coaches.

Cristiano Ronaldo Ballon d'Or

In 2022, Ronaldo has once again been nominated to receive the award, proving that he has always been present in the contender list.

Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or on five occasions. Meanwhile, Messi received the award seven times.

The captain of the Portugal national team was granted the prestigious award in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.

Ronaldo also placed second six times in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2018. He also placed third in 2019.

The famous player was nominated for the Ballon d'Or award 18 times, with 2003 being the last time he was not on the final shortlist.

In 2017, Ronald defeated Messi and Neymar to win the crown for the fifth time.

Only three other players have won the award on three occasions, aside from Messi and Ronaldo. The other winners were Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff, and Marco van Basten.

Who Is Idan Ofer?

Ofer is considered to be one of Israel's richest men, operating a fleet of over 200 bulk, container, and crude oil ships through his Eastern Pacific Shipping.

He also owns 51% of Israel Corp., which is a publicly-traded chemical, energy, and shipping conglomerate.

His current net worth as reported by Forbes is $9.8 billion.

Israel Corp. is also an industry player in the power, transportation, and shipping sectors.

The Israeli businessman also owns a 32% stake in the Spanish soccer team Atletico de Madrid. He also has an 85% stake in Portuguese soccer club FC Famalicao.

Ofer is the son of late billionaire Sammy Ofer, who made a huge majority of his fortune through maritime trade and ships.

Ofer has also been known through his donations to museums and hospitals in Israel.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: All Ballon d'Or Winners 1956 - 2021. Lionel Messi Won 2021 Ballon d'Or. - from Football Info