Heading into the ceremony, Ronaldo had already claimed four Ballon d’Or titles. At that point, Messi was slightly ahead, having secured five of the prestigious awards. ..Continue Reading
Thanks to his standout performances for Real Madrid, Ronaldo was named the 2017 Ballon d’Or winner, drawing level with Messi.
However, the Portuguese star discovered the outcome before the event, as the result was leaked in advance.
Spanish publication Don Balon reported that Ronaldo phoned Messi to let him know he had won the honor. Messi responded by congratulating Ronaldo on his success.
In 2018, Luka Modric broke the long-standing dominance of Ronaldo and Messi in the Ballon d’Or race.
Messi bounced back to win three of the next four Ballon d’Ors between 2018 and 2023, bringing his total to eight.
Ronaldo hasn’t added another Ballon d’Or to his collection since his 2017 victory.
During their prime years, Ronaldo and Messi battled fiercely in La Liga, representing Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
Their rivalry became legendary, as both competed for the biggest honors in world football.
Despite the behind-the-scenes phone call, Ronaldo and Messi are not considered close friends. That’s according to Messi, who said he has a lot of respect and admiration for Ronaldo but doesn’t see him as a ‘friend’.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he’s had and continues to have, because he’s still competing at the highest level,” he told DSports last June.
“The competition with him was on the pitch. Each of us wanted to do the best for our team. Obviously, as always, everything stayed on the field. Off the pitch, we are two normal people. We’re not friends obviously because we don’t spend time together, but we’ve always treated each other with a lot of respect.”
