Cristiano Ronaldo has been the winner and potential victim of circumstance. While his own tremendous play has all but secured the Ballon d'Or for him, the circumstances in which he may win it could potentially hinder the victory.
Ronaldo has often stated that he wants to win the award and wants to win it deservedly. There have been years where his play has certainly spoken for itself and he has made a solid case. However, he has been rebuffed time and again by the splendid Lionel Messi and has often seen himself as the second fiddle in the contest.
In 2013, Ronaldo has become the best player in the world beyond any doubt. His 66 goals this season are a wide margin from Messi's 44 in 45 matches. Ronaldo has not led Real Madrid to any awards, but he did win Portugal a spot in the World Cup next summer. Those claiming that Ronaldo did not win anything in 2013 can no longer make this argument; while Ronaldo has no trophy to show for it, his performance against Sweden has cemented his legacy as a national hero. Throw in the goals for Real Madrid this season and Ronaldo has had a year to remember.
The problem is that he did not seem to be the favorite when the Nov. 15 ballots closed. On Tuesday, the ballots were reopened and new deadline was set. The conspiracy theories will undoubtedly flow and this alone will hurt Ronaldo's victory, if he gets it.
Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or will be in the same league as Messi's 2010 victory, which many claim should have gone to Wesley Sneijder for his treble with Inter Milan and his World Cup finals appearance with the Netherlands. The difference with that one is that the deadline was not extended and thus the results were not accordingly altered. With Ronaldo, this will always hang over his head no matter what happens.
The irony of the situation is that FIFA may have indirectly done this to make amends with the superstar after President Sepp Blatter's recent statements. Instead, the move may actually hurt Ronaldo's legacy more than it will help it.
Will Ronaldo's second Ballon d'Or (if he gets it) live in infamy due to FIFA's rule change?
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