Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or trophies throughout his illustrious career, but in a surprising move, he decided to sell one of them. Typically, footballers who win the Ballon d’Or either hand a replica to their club, keep it in their personal collection, or donate it to a museum. However, Ronaldo took a different approach. In 2017, he auctioned off his 2013 Ballon d’Or for charity, according to MARCA.
The 2013 award was Ronaldo’s second Ballon d’Or and marked the end of Lionel Messi’s four-year streak of winning the prestigious prize. Ronaldo secured 27.99% of the vote, while Messi finished second with 24.72%.
All proceeds from the auction went to the Make-A-Wish foundation, which supports children battling serious illnesses. The auction, held in London, saw Israel’s richest man, Idan Ofer, place the winning bid of €600,000. He posed with the trophy alongside Ronaldo’s long-time agent, Jorge Mendes.
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At the same auction, other notable items included a meet-and-greet with managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho at a Manchester boxing event, which fetched €30,000.
While auctions of Ballon d’Or trophies are rare, Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano’s silverware and memorabilia were sold in 2021. His 1957 Ballon d’Or went for £60,800, while his 1959 award sold for £54,400. The rare “Super Ballon d’Or,” held only by Di Stefano, fetched £187,500.
Ronaldo’s most recent Ballon d’Or win came in 2017, but Messi has since pulled ahead with a record eight Ballon d’Ors. Notably, both Ronaldo and Messi were left off the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist, marking the first time since 2003 that neither player was included.