Why did Cristiano Ronaldo win Maradona Award at the Globe Soccer Awards?

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best ever soccer players, and he has all the trophies and individual awards to prove that. The Portuguese striker is one of the most decorated players in the entire world, and he has all the individual achievements to showcase his talent and abilities.

CR7 has won five Ballon d’Or awards, the second most in history, along with hundreds of other such prestigious awards. While he is not at his best right now, having left European soccer for Saudi Arabia, he has had a great year and has been awarded for it as well.

Why did Cristiano Ronaldo win Maradona Award?

Cristiano Ronaldo has added one more award to his immense cabinet, and that is the Maradona Award at the 2023 Globe Soccer Award. The 38-year-old got it due to his immense contributions to Al Nassr and the Portugal national team in the previous year.

He scored the most goals in the last calendar year, scoring 54 goals in only 59 games, with 44 for his club and 10 for his country. He beat the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Harry Kane to achieve this landmark achievement.

Ronaldo also helped Al Nassr win a trophy in the Arab Club Champions Cup, where he was phenomenal throughout the tournament. He has also helped them qualify from the AFC group stage effortlessly, which is the reason why they are 2nd in the Saudi Pro League. For Portugal, he helped them through their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying stage, and will prepare for the tournament after this season.

Ronaldo didn’t only win the Maradona Award, but also several others. While Erling Haaland won the Best Men’s Player there, Ronaldo grabbed the Fan’s Favorite Award, and the Best Middle East Player. While the awards aren’t the most prestigious in the world, it still speaks volumes for Ronaldo to still dominate it.

What is Maradona Award?

Cristiano Ronaldo may have won the Maradona Award, but many fans don’t even know what the award even is. It is obviously named after the late Argentinian legend Diego Armando Maradona, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever soccer players.

The award is given to the player with the most goals in a single year, which Ronaldo achieved. It was first given out at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards in 2021, when Barcelona and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski won it. It was not awarded the next year for reasons unknown, but was revived this year. This is why many fans don’t know what the award even means.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently enjoying time off during the off-season of the Saudi Pro League, but will soon return to training ahead of some friendly games, including one against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.