Featured Image Credit: Getty and MARCA
Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Ors over his sparkling career but elected to sell one of his replica trophies back in 2017.
Typically, those who have had the honour of winning the Ballon d’Or hand over the replica version to the club they won it playing for.
Alternatively, it ends up in their own personal trophy collection or museum. However, when it comes to Ronaldo’s 2013 Ballon d’Or, the Portuguese captain asked for it to be donated to charity, as per MARCA.
The 2013 Ballon d’Or was only Ronaldo’s second in his career, with the award breaking a four-year streak of Lionel Messi lifting the trophy.
Ronaldo won with 27.99% of the vote, with Messi earning 24.72% and finishing second.
It went to auction, with all the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish, the charity which helps children suffering from serious illnesses.
The event took place in London and Idan Ofer, Israel’s richest person, won the prize with a staggering €600,000 winning bid.
He posed with the gold trophy alongside Ronaldo’s long-time representative Jorge Mendes.
Also up for grabs at the same auction was a meet and greet with legendary managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho at a boxing event in Manchester, with €30,000 being forked out for that prize.
Auctions for Ballon d’Or’s aren’t too common although the silverware and memorabilia collected by Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano did sell for a lot in 2021.
His 1957 Ballon d’Or went for £60,800, with his second, picked up two years later, selling for £54,400. The rare ‘Super Ballon d’Or’, only held by Di Stefano, commanded a winning bid of £187,500.
Ronaldo’s last Ballon d’Or came in 2017, meaning Lionel Messi has pulled away in the duel, with eight Ballon d’Or’s to his name.
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