Ronaldo again does not vote in Kopa Trophy, won by Yamal

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to sacrifice young talents in his long-running dispute with the French magazine “France Football” over the Ballon d’Or. The Portugal captain, now at Al-Nassr, has once again refused to take part in the voting for the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best young player.

At the ceremony held in London in the early hours of last Tuesday, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was the big winner of the Kopa Trophy, beating other promising youngsters in a vote decided by former Ballon d’Or winners. Ronaldo was among the voters but did not take part. The French daily “L’Équipe” confirmed that the Portuguese did not vote, nor did legends Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini.

This was the fifth consecutive year in which Ronaldo has stayed away from the Kopa Trophy vote, having last taken part in 2021, when he picked Mason Greenwood as his favourite. Since then, the “Madeira Rocket” has kept his distance from the event, because of a war of words with Pascal Ferré, who was editor-in-chief of “France Football”. The row began when Ferré said in the press that Ronaldo had confessed to him that his greatest ambition was to finish his career with more Ballons d’Or than his Argentine rival, Lionel Messi.

Those comments irritated Ronaldo, who responded on Instagram, denying the conversation and accusing Ferré of lying and of misusing his name. Since then, Ronaldo has distanced himself from the Ballon d’Or ceremony, not competing, not attending as a guest and not voting for the Kopa Trophy winner. In addition, the Portuguese star has expressed his dissatisfaction with the magazine’s choices for the Ballon d’Or itself, especially as he has not won the award since 2017.

Ronaldo’s refusal to take part in the Kopa Trophy vote raises questions about his relationship with the magazine and his standing in today’s football world. The impact of the situation could affect his image and the public perception of his legacy, especially with the growing number of young talents emerging in football. What comes next for Ronaldo and his rivalry with Messi remains an intriguing story in the sport, as generations come and go and new names appear on the horizon.