Last month, Cristiano Ronaldo opened a museum in his own honorin his native Madeira. Last week, he accepted the award of -Grand Officer- of Portugal.
One might think that he would just retired, having won the World Cup for his homeland. Or maybe the Champions League. Or at least the Ballon d Or.
No, at the time of each of his recent honors, Ronaldo hadnt won a single competition with club or country since the 2012 Spanish Supercopa.
History can remember them as premature celebrations of his being named winner of the 2013 Ballon d Or, an award that sent a regrettable message to fans, aspiring footballers and especially Ronaldo himself: When discerning the wheat from the chaff, image is everything. Results hold little currency.
-He scored 69 goals in 2013- is the most common argument made in Ronaldos favor. This is an indisputable fact that, without further context, is enormously impressive. Some take it a step further and conclude that because of his goals tally, Ronaldo was therefore the worlds most decisive footballer in 2013.
He wasnt. In fact, he didnt decide a whole lot. There were five big matches in 2013 in which Ronaldo had a chance to play a -decisive- role for Real Madrid and Portugal: the second leg of the Champions League semifinal with Dortmund, the Copa del Rey final against Atletico, Septembers Liga clash with Atletico, Octobers Liga match with Barcelona and the second leg of Portugals World Cup qualifying playoff with Sweden.

• • • The Big Games. + + +

Against Dortmund, Real desperately needed a leader, a hero to rally them as they sought to overturn a 4-1 first-leg deficit—and they nearly got that before their elimination. But it was not the rather harmless and off-form Ronaldo who was up for the challenge. Instead, it was substitute Karim Benzema who, following his introduction, brought bite into the hosts attack as he scored and assisted in a 2-0 win.
Ronaldo had a chance to redeem himself a month later in the Copa final and things began well as he opened the scoring. But Atletis defenders had his number and the underdogs came back to force extra time before going ahead on 99 minutes.
A more decisive player would have inspired his team to equalize, but Ronaldo let his frustration boil over and was sent off after kicking Gabi in the jaw.
Despite boasting the most expensive club squad ever assembled and allegedly the best player in the world, Real ended the 2012-13 season with complete and utter disappointment. They finished a whopping 15 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, failed to reach the Champions League final for the 11th consecutive year, despite facing semifinalists with a tiny fraction of their wage bill, and couldnt even claim the Copa as a consolation prize.
In August, a panel of journalists named Franck Ribery UEFAs Best Player in Europe; Lionel Messi finished second.
Ronaldo went on a tear at the start of the 2013-14 season, but once again went missing on the biggest stage.
In late September, Real were two points behind Barca and Atleti when they hosted their Madrid rivals. Ronaldo was a complete flop in that match, which Atleti won 1-0 following Diego Costas solitary strike.
One month later, Real were three points behind Barcelona as they visited Catalonia. Neymar stole the show, lifting Barca to a 2-1 victory as Ronaldo was again impotent. Real could have drawn level with Barca in that game, but instead ended the matchday third in the Spanish Primera, six points behind Lionel Messi & Co.
The turning point for Ronaldo in winning the Ballon d Or was Portugals World Cup playoff against Sweden. He scored a late winner in the first leg, then a magnificent hat trick in the second. Suddenly, all was forgiven.

Players and pundits cried out in unison: How could anyone else be considered for the Ballon d Or?

All the while, there was a gargantuan elephant in the room waiting to be addressed: In a group in which Russia and Israel were their biggest rivals, how did Portugal notqualify for the World Cup as group winners?
One reason was that the captain Ronaldo was unable to inspire his team to victory in all four matches against Israel and Russia, and was even found impotent when Northern Ireland held the Portuguese to a draw in Porto. He scored in only two matches in qualifiers.
Portugal's failure to qualify directly set the stage for a winner-takes-all, two-legged heavyweight bout: Portugal vs. Sweden. Or, as many quivering journalists billed it, Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ronaldo then did to Sweden what he does in La Liga on a regular basis: He scored several goals to lead a star-studded team (Portugal are currently valued at €318.2 million) to victory over a vastly lesser-rated side (Sweden's collective worth is€110.95 million).
It was an important result. It was a surprise to precisely no one.
FIFA overlord Sepp Blatter promptly responded by reopening Ballon d'Or voting in a not-so-hidden attempt to make amends for some mostly harmless but utterly stupid remarks he'd made about Ronaldo in front of a small group of students at Oxford University. Since then, there's been only one favorite for the Ballon d'Or.

• • • The 69 Goals: Impressive but Not Decisive + + +

With the turning point in the Ballon d'Or race having been identified, it's important to address Ronaldo's scoring record. It would be foolish to say that his tally of 69 goals is anything less than phenomenal. Ronaldo deserves full credit for the number of goals he's scored.
And there is an award for that: the European Golden Shoe.The Ballon d'Or is a different award; its voting is meant to take into consideration more than simple statistics with no further context.
In reality, all goals are not equal. In fact, even the Golden Shoe takes this into account. The winner is determined based on "points" that are calculated by multiplying goals scored by a coefficient that varies between one and two depending on a league's perceived quality. For example, a striker in the Latvian league will need to score twice as many goals as a player in Spain in order for the two to be level on "points."

But even that methodology is flawed because it does not take into account the extra significance of, for example, the winner in a match against a top rival team as opposed to the near-pointlessness of goal number eight in an 8-0 rout of a relegation-bound side.
Ronaldo's tally of 69 goals may be immensely impressive on its own, but 29 (42 percent) came when his team had already taken the lead; 17 (25 percent) came when his Real or Portugal teams were already out of sight, with a lead of two or more goals.
For context, Ronaldo opened the scoring eight times last season. Marco Reus, whose goals tally (24) was not even half of Ronaldo's in the same campaign, had nearly double (15) as many openers—these goals were more decisive and therefore more valuable. Ask Ronaldo himself, and he would gladly have traded a few of his less important goals for a third against Dortmund.
Had Ronaldo been more decisive and scored more when it counted—or simply been willing to do more of the thankless, oft-overlooked tasks that distinguish true winners from also-rans—perhaps Real would have fared better.
But they finished a mile behind a very strong but beatable Barcelona last season and ended 2013 third in La Liga. Real's failure to impress collectively has discounted Ronaldo's goals tally, underlining how little value that number truly holds on its own.
The lesson to be learned from Ronaldo's 2013 is that a player can be exceptionally prolific while resoundingly indecisive. Scoring is only scoring; football is more than that.

• • • Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or a Disservice to Fans and Football Alike + + +

In recent years, the increased availability of highlights reels via YouTube and statistics by agencies such as Infostrada and Opta have changed fans' perception of football.
There once was a time when it was commonly accepted that the best teams are those that win and the teams that win have the best players.
To this day, Zinedine Zidane is considered a legend of the game. He won the 1998 Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003. Yet in the 10 years he spent at Juventus and Real Madrid, he scored 75 goals and gave 43 assists, tallies that Ronaldo and Messi could exceed in well under two years.

During his career, Twitter didnt explode on a weekly basis with notifications of the next goalscoring record Zidane broke. But he was indisputably one of the greatest footballers of his generation because success followed him wherever he went. The attacking midfielder was a European and world champion with France, Italian champion with Juventus and Spanish and European champion with Real Madrid. He even led lowly Bordeaux to the UEFA Cup final.
Rather than drawing all the attention to himself and sucking the life out of his team, Zidane was a true leader. As Zlatan Ibrahimovic once said: \"When Zidane stepped onto the pitch, the 10 other guys just got suddenly better. It is that simple.
\"Zidane was willing to adapt his game according to opposition and his teammates\' form on the day. He was happy to do whatever it took to win, from phenomenal individual efforts to simple, thankless tasks.
Appreciation for that kind of magic is, sadly, fleeting in today s game. Statistics, bereft of context, are often given more attention than the incredibly complex synthesis of tangible and intangible factors that is football.
When a team enjoys 75 percent of the possession in a game, one must ask: Did the team win? How many opportunities on goal did each team produce? Was the opposing team complicit in the uneven distribution of time on the ball?
Similarly, when a player scores 69 goals in the season, one must ask: Did these goals beget team success? Against what clubs were these goals scored? What difference did these goals make? What else did the player do?
Ronaldo being awarded the Ballon d Or simply enforces the sensationalism and gross simplification of modern football, affirming that all that is perceived as relevant to a players greatness is a single number. No need for any further intellectual inquiry.

• • • Ballon d Or A Disservice to Ronaldo + + +

The saddest part of Ronaldo being awarded the Ballon d Or is that it is the next and greatest in a string of indulgences he is received that have only served to inflate his ego and underline that he has every right to be satisfied with himself as a player.
He was given the Portugal captaincy at the age of 22 before he would shown any leadership ability. Since then, his star-studded team has labored to World Cup and European Championships following disappointing qualification runs, finishing behind the likes of Poland, Denmark (twice) and Russia in qualifiers.
In 2009, he became the most expensive signing in world football history, joining Real Madrid for €94 million. He then began to shoot on goal from nearly every free-kick within 40 meters, regardless of angle, no matter how many times he missed. No teammate or coach could keep him in check.
Satisfaction begets complacency and complacency begets stagnation. As hard as he trains in certain areas, there are glaring flaws in Ronaldos game that, due to his self-satisfaction and overt stubbornness, continually go unaddressed.

Thus was the basis of Mourinho s falling out with Ronaldo. The trainer, who time and time again has made stars from even ordinary players who trusted him, was unable to affect his compatriot and criticized the player after his departure as head coach at Real Madrid:

I had only one problem with him, very simple, very basic, which was when a coach criticizes a player from a tactical viewpoint trying to improve what in my view could have been improved. And at that moment he didnt take it very well because maybe he thinks he knows everything and the coach cannot help him to develop more.

Mourinho saw more in Ronaldo, and the player ostensibly has more to offer. On talent, he should be the best player in the world. He has exquisite shooting technique, sublime one-on-one skills and unparalleled physical qualities.
Yet Ronaldo s ego keeps him from realizing the full extent of his potential. He is an incredible athlete, yet he cant be bothered to press. He doesnt run to the ball and is instead content to blame the midfield when he is unable to receive possession.
These deficiencies are rarely noticeable, but are consistently evident against elite teams that press high and defend well. That is why Ronaldo flopped in the most important matches of 2013. Yet as Mourinho explained, when a coach tries to highlight where Ronaldo can improve, the player ignores him.
As evidenced by his insistence upon taking every penalty and free-kick within a range far beyond his own limit, and his recent assertion that he deserves the Ballon d Or every year, Ronaldo has an obsession with being the hero. His toxic attitude has essentially reduced his €415.9 million-worth of world-class teammates at Real to an accepted role of supporting cast.
It normally would be unjust to place so much blame on one player, but when that player accepts as much responsibility as Ronaldo, he must be held accountable for both success and failure. The best player in the world would get more from such star-studded teams as Real and Portugal.

• • • A Comparison + + +

Ronaldo is not the first footballer to have his ego stand in the way of success. Arjen Robben was similar until about a year ago and his story lends hope to the Portuguese.
A notoriously selfish player, Robben missed two critical penalties in the spring of 2012 as Bayern Munich ended their season without a trophy. The next season, he was relegated to the bench. That only changed in April 2013 when an injury to Toni Kroos gave him the chance to redeem himself.

What we ve seen since is a transformed Robben, one who has assisted nearly as many goals (18) as he s scored (23), made the effort to defend and allowed his teammates—many of whom are no greater players than Ronaldos supporting cast—to take center stage from time to time, when in form.
Its no coincidence that Bayern only won the treble after the Dutchmans ego was brought into check. And its no coincidence that Ronaldos only Champions League title came when he was still part of the puzzle at Manchester United, not the only piece.
Looking Forward If Ronaldo can undergo a transformation similar to Robben s, he could drive Real not only to their 10th Champions League title, but potentially a treble or more. But as he approaches his 29th birthday, the attacker still has not been given the reality check that Jupp Heynckes gave Robben.
Instead, Ronaldo has opened museums in his own honor and received countless awards that enforce his self-satisfaction, dulling the sting of Real and Portugal s failure to capitalize on their potential.
As great a player as he is, Ronaldo may never be the winner that he could be. All those who have coddled him over the years, and especially those who voted for him in the 2013 Ballon d Or, have done the player and football as a whole a great disservice.

From Bleacherreport.com

Very harsh post about Ronaldo, but i saw some new things that i didnt see before reeding it, We all agree that Ronaldo is the best athlete football made or at least one of the best, but why Real Madrid doesnt win that much ? The article provided many responses that could be debated.
I see some Halafans comming, its not an attempt to take credit for his actual Ballon d' Or. If Messi deserved it in 2010 somehow by Fifas logic, then Ronaldo fully deserved it in that same logic, which must be changed in my opinion...
I started to love the person outside the field as i knew his political positions, the love he has to his family and the people he helps, im very impressed by the athlete who is actually the best athlete, but the player disapointed me in key games, happy for that because i support Barça ^^...
What is your impressions about the subject ?

This topic is really interesting but."When a team enjoys 75 percent of the possession in a game, one must ask: Did the team win?" That's more question for Barcelona who likes to hold the ball the huge % of game. I personally don't think that possession is that necessary, maybe as a good excuse. (NO HATE!)You're saying that Ronaldo failed in these finals, yes he didn't had his best days. I totally agree. In these important matches fans always hopes that the one who will decide will be probably Ronaldo. Messi was similar in the games vs Bayern (but let that be, we all expected more from these 2 when they team needed them most)."Arjen Robben was similar until about a year ago and his story lends hope to the Portuguese." Nope, I don't think this has any similarity, even Robben really improved in Bayern. And I can't see any coach who would bench Ronaldo if he was in his team (maybe Guardiola).This probably changed a lot:FIFA and France Football have extended the period of voting to Nov. 29 2013. First the jury had to have voted by at least the 15th of this month. The second legs for Brazil 2014 were not included. That was just as unfair as this change is suspicious. Bit by bit FIFA are ruining the Ballon d'Or with the decisions which are taking place. You do not need to be a genius to see that this decision to extend the voting period for the FIFA Ballon d'Or benefits CR7. I wonder how it would end if the second wouldn't count. Would be the Messi on the first place again?

I agree that there is a similarities with Barça, at Tito/Roura s time, we saw a very boring Barça who only rely on Messi miracles when he was fit, and i definitely agree with what you said.
For Ballon d Or, he was ruined by Fifa in 2010 while givint it to Messi even when he failed in world cip, i still think it should go that year to Sneider/Iniesta.This year, they insisted in their useless logic by not giving it to Ribery, even if it gives justice back to Ronaldo by taking a Ballon d Or as Messi in 2010.Fifa will be soon obliged to change the rules.
Im gonna be hated by both Messi and Ronaldo fanatics, but its my point even if i like both players...( Messi a little more :) ).

Not going to get in the whole huge argument . Who is better because both playing in different teams with different system, different competition in the squad , position and style . I do think Ronaldo been deserving Balon Dor this year and deserved one two years ago when he won golden boot. About him sending out wrong message i totally disagree . Same thing has been said during Muhammad Ali career but later on and on this days he is accepted as the Greatest Boxer of All time not only that but he is also recognized as great person with incredible charisma who also helped to shape america during Civil Right movements . Not saying that Ronaldo is the greatest in my opinion he is far from it , but likes of him will be praised in future and young players will look up to him . We do not know him personally how can we judge him based on biased media that has been labeling him arrogant since his young career days in United . Ibrahimovic can be called arrogant , Ribbery and Messi as well . Media works funny ways they pay attention to Ronaldo all the time !! Ronaldo says he is best and he goes out there and proves it . Ronaldo says he is not arrogant as many say and he again shows it but media is not interested in good guy Ronaldo . Media never shows moments when Messi is arrogant or his acts on the field and off the field. For example If Ronaldo had not paid his taxes in Spain , I swear Spanish media and world media would have killed him with articles ! Number one reason would have been simply because he is Portuguese and etc reasons. Media shapes your opinion , so lets not rely on biased media .

Too... Much... To... read.

blablabla.. There is no need to investigate all this bullcrap... CR7 won it.... END OF THE STORY ;)

Oh my.. Not that c**t again..

Yep its a long post, you dont like ? go read a 2 lines post, there are many....
@Dephased Are you saying that to me ?
@Iraqui as i said for Hala hala fanatics there is no need to insult, just pass your way.

Iraqi ^^

Ok, sorry. I wouldnt understand if it was for me, im not hating at Ronaldo. That was not the aim of the post.
@Marcus :
I think you missunderstood the subject here, im not comparing Messi and Ronaldo, its not the aim of the post.
Im not saying he is a bad guy, he is far from that and his political positions are not motivated by money as 99 pr cent of the stars in the world, wich is a very good point for him.
But the comparison with Zidane RM and Ronaldo RM is very interesting to understand why the the most expensive squad in history are struggling for titles even with the best coach of the moment (Mourinho), i dont agree with all what has been said. I found it harsh for the player but i really want to see some RM fans reaction (Iron-fist, Dynast, Expertfootball) who are more interested in winning titles than in their personnal players.
The impression of Ronaldo fanatics doesnt interest me, i want to hear true RM fans or others, because this team has one of the best President, the most expensive squad, and had the best coach of the world and still not winning.
If Barça are still not winnig when playing around Messi, i will be the first to want to see him playing a secondary role.

Haha i dont fancy ronaldo as i dont like invidual efforts, football is a team sport and will always be.

Not trying to piss off Ronaldo fans, but, this article made a lot of very good points.

And towards the end, all I could think was: this is precisely why I still believe his best year(s) were at United, with a coach who could control him and wasn't afraid to do so. Ferguson was renowned for never letting any player, from Cantona to Keane, to Beckham, to Ronaldo to Rooney, think that they were bigger than the team.

Maybe that really IS the difference, and what's stood in Cristiano's way after all...

@tiki_taka

Please post the link of where you got this from.
I don't agree with everything in this article but this article does bring a lot of good points.

I'm not 100% sure about comparing robben and ronaldo though because honestly these two players are not comparable (in terms of their talent).

@Lodatz

I don't necessarily believe his best years are at United but it has more to do with Man United having a better team work than at real madrid.

Team wise, Man utd has been better for ronaldo and for indiviual talent, ronaldo has been better at real madrid. (maybe you meant to say this)

Real Madrid (don't hate me for this) has been a mess ever since they keep changing managers and players. They were lacking team chemistry for a while until Mourinho came along and fixed it.

I don't know if you remember but there were periods where Man utd didn't win. Teams need time to rebuild and I don't think Real Madrid will ever fullfill their potential (with their current squad) until they give time to the managers and players rather than splashing money on new players/managers.

(^ I think the same for Moyes but I really can't say anything else but blame him at the moment. He really should have bought players during the summer and Man Utd wouldn't be at this state. I wouldn't fire him now but he might be sacked if man utd doesn't reach top 4.)

@fabryi

I really don't think Guardiola would bench ronaldo...

I have quite a lot of objections with this article. Quite a bit of the things they said was based on pure hatred.

"He doesnt run to the ball and is instead content to blame the midfield when he is unable to receive possession"

Really? Half the goals Real Madrid score from open play are because Ronaldo is too busy dragging 2-3 defenders with him, leaving others in wide open space. And I have never heard Ronaldo blame the midfield. He, like every other player, will scream for the ball when he is in open space. But he has never blamed his midfield. After the 1-0 loss to Atletico, he blamed no one but himself, and Madrid's performance as a team. Key word here, "team". His statement was that if they want to beat Atletico, they have to perform better as a team. He also said that he was very disappointed in his own performance as well, and was keen to improve in their next meeting.

"For context, Ronaldo opened the scoring eight times last season. Marco Reus, whose goals tally (24) was not even half of Ronaldo's in the same campaign, had nearly double (15) as many openers—these goals were more decisive and therefore more valuable."

Fair point, but does 0-0 differ much from 1-1? In both occasions, both teams are tied on goals, and one of them may or may not have momentum of the match. Such is the case all the time. So when Ronaldo scores 31 goals this year (out of 69) when his team was on level terms, it means he takes things into his own hands and strikes the momentum his way. A remarkable achievement. And in total, he's scored 40 goals when his team was not winning. 40 out of 69. You do the math.

"He is an incredible athlete, yet he cant be bothered to press."

This writer does not watch Real Madrid at all. Since Ancelotti's arrival, Ronaldo has been pressing a LOT more than he has his entire career. When I first saw him do it, I was shocked. I couldn't believe my eyes. But now, he pitches in on the defense a lot more, especially in the more important matches. Even in the 1-0 win against Espanyol recently, he spent quite a bit of time inside his own half, trying to help out Marcelo.

"Mourinho saw more in Ronaldo, and the player ostensibly has more to offer. On talent, he should be the best player in the world. He has exquisite shooting technique, sublime one-on-one skills and unparalleled physical qualities.Yet Ronaldo s ego keeps him from realizing the full extent of his potential"

100% true. Ronaldo is capable of being much better than Messi. But his tendency to take a 40-yard free-kick instead of crossing to a teammate more likely to score (Ramos, Pepe, Higuain, etc.) has cost him. We all know he's capable of 40 yard belters as well, but unless there's no one up to support him in the attack, I really think that he shouldn't shoot from that far when Ozil is only 2 yards in front of him. But, once again, he's cleaning that up. He's improved his FK accuracy considerably, and doesn't take retarded shots anymore (since Ancelotti's arrival).

"The saddest part of Ronaldo being awarded the Ballon d Or is that it is the next and greatest in a string of indulgences he is received that have only served to inflate his ego and underline that he has every right to be satisfied with himself as a player."

Really? Seems to me that a man who is shedding tears in public and thanking his fans, teammates, family, and friends has quite an inflated ego. Sure, I won't deny that he is proud of himself. A bit too much sometimes. But how does this statement justify him not deserving the award? If the writer is going to give me reasons on why Ronaldo didn't deserve the Ballon d'Or, I suggest something better and more well thought out. This article was mostly based on hate, and nothing more.

@Heavenduel https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bd6PJUzCQAEAStB.png

"...when a player scores 69 goals in the season, one must ask: Did these goals beget team success? Against what clubs were these goals scored? What difference did these goals make? What else did the player do?
Ronaldo being awarded the Ballon d Or simply enforces the sensationalism and gross simplification of modern football, affirming that all that is perceived as relevant to a players greatness is a single number. No need for any further intellectual inquiry."

Yes these goals begot success. He's scored lots of goals, and led his team to be runners-up in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and reached the semi-finals of the CL. It's not his fault Madrid's defense decided to ship 4 at Dortmund. He did his part by scoring the goal. Same against Atletico. He scored the all-important opener, but it was Madrid's defense that conceded 2 goals. Lopez's poor positioning was what cost them.... and yet it is somehow still blamed on Ronaldo. I don't understand how far haters want to go sometimes to demean a player.

Against what clubs were these goals scored? Oh you know, the usual... Borussia Dortmund (x1), Juventus (x3, +1 assist), Manchester United (x2), Barcelona (x2, +1 assist), and Atletico Madrid (x1) just to name the big guns. In fact, those are all the "big guns" Real Madrid have faced this year. And fancy that, Ronaldo's scored against all of them.

What difference did these goals make? He's scored 40 of his 69 goals when Madrid were either tied or losing. Not bad for someone labelled to score a lot of "useless goals".

What else did the player do? I'll ask the writer something. What else do you want him to do? Replace Casillas as a goalkeeper to make sure Madrid don't concede more goals? Average 2 goals a game? Win every game in sight? This is a team sport, not an individual one. The Ballon d'Or is present to honor the best individual performer of the season, and Ronaldo was justifiably the winner (it was down between him and Ribery anyways). If it's trophies you want Ronaldo to show off, go blame Real Madrid. I have no problem with that. But don't blame a frickin' attacker for his team's defensive woes.

Nice intervention Dynast, i believe the truth is between what you said and the writer. The consistency of Ronaldo all those year makes him deserving a Ballon d' Or for the whole past years performences. No problem here.
But what i loved in this post is that it shows that Cr7 still not use 100 pr cent of his capacity because of the reasons listed by the writer.

@Tiki_Taka
I meant the link for the article (Bleacherreport.com).

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1875328-why-cristiano-ronaldos-ballon-dor-sends-the-wrong-message

@Dynast This is for you.