With Cristiano Ronaldo among the 30 nominees for the 2022 Ballon d'Or, it has been reportedly revealed that the Manchester United superstar "knows" who will win the award.
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France Football announced their final 30-man candidates list in August ahead of the ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in France's capital city this coming Monday, 17 October.
Ronaldo was among the high-profile players revealed to be in contention for the prize, while his long-time rival Lionel Messi missed out, despite winning the prestigious award for a record-extending seventh time last year.
Although named among the final nominees, very few believe the 37-year-old Portugal captain has a real chance of scooping the accolade, with Real Madrid No. 9 Karim Benzema widely considered to be the favourite for the prize this year.
???? Cristiano Ronaldo will be at the Ballon d'Or ceremony as he knows his friend Karim Benzema is set to win it. @le_Parisien
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 12, 2022
In fact, it is thought that Ronaldo also subscribes to the idea that his former teammate will clinch the Ballon d'Or next week, and will reportedly make the trip to Paris in order to celebrate his ex-colleague's achievement.
Several publications across Europe have reported that the five-time winner of the award will attend the ceremony, suggesting he will be doing so out of respect for the forward he shared a dressing room with for nine successful years between 2009 and 2018.
Benzema and Ronaldo struck up an important partnership during their years together as Real teammates, with the former often praised for how well he complimented the United No. 7.
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The Frenchman is tipped to clinch his maiden Ballon d'Or for the incredible 2021/22 campaign he had, in which he won both the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga titles, contributing to 59 goals along the way.
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