It turns out Cristiano Ronaldo is bigger than the actual game of football, because he’s actually agreed to attend the FIFA annual gala, where the Ballon d’Or award will be presented, probably to him.
What has changed? The world was shaken (well, not really) when Ronaldo was so angry at Sepp Blatter (another walking joke) for making fun of him. Ronaldo didn’t only take the insult (about his hair) personally, he decided to make it a matter of grandiose conspiracy. Not just against him, but against Real Madrid and Portugal, all because FIFA and Blatter prefer Messi to Ronaldo.
Blatter apologized, and Ronaldo eventually changed his mind, announcing that he’ll attend the FIFA gala. What’s changed, we ask again? Frank Ribery seemed like the favorite to win the award, but then mysteriously the final date of the voting was changed. Enough time for voters to see Ronaldo in action (and he was spectacular) in the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden. Ribery played as well for France against the Ukraine, but wasn’t as impressive.
There was also the photo-shoot with Ribery that FIFA had planned and got cancelled. Instead, one with Ronaldo was scheduled. Why? It’s never easy to say with FIFA, but it’s not going to surprise anyone if it had something to do with pleasing Ronaldo and letting him have his moment in the sun, like all the moments he’s had so far in his career weren’t enough.
A funny tweet by Barcastuff (that might actually be saying the truth) has already announced that Messi won’t be winning the Ballon d’Or, it’s actually Ronaldo. All signs point to that happening. A couple of months ago the LFP held its award ceremony in Spain for the 2012-2013 season. Messi was awarded the best player among lesser awards given out. Ronaldo hinted at not making it for some reason, so they made up a MVP award for him so he’ll have something to hold at the end of the evening.
Maybe this is one huge wind-up by FIFA: making Ronaldo think he’s getting the award, getting him to the gala and then presenting it to Ribery or Messi just so we can see that face biting his lip with envy once more.
The sad thing about this? There’s a good chance Ronaldo does deserve the award. He didn’t win anything with Real Madrid, playing badly in the Champions League semifinal against Dortmund and the Copa Del Rey Final against Atletico Madrid, but when surveying the entire year, he just might be the best performer.
But he and those giving him advice have turned his candidacy into such a joke with more diva-like behavior, acting like a spoiled child who has been denied something he thinks he’s entitled to., that if he does pick up that piece of gold for the second time in his career (he won in its previous version in 2008), it won’t matter as much as it should.