Cristiano Ronaldo is the second player with the most Ballons d’Or after Lionel Messi.
The Portuguese ace has five individual awards – the first of them he won while at Manchester United in 2008 and he subsequently won four more during his time at Real Madrid in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
However, behind the first Ballon d’Or he picked up with Real Madrid in 2013, there is an interesting story as the award is longer in his possession. Cristiano decided to donate the Ballon d’Or to charity and it was later auctioned off by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
According to The Mirror, Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer won the auction to acquire the Ballon d’Or, which Cristiano handed over after receiving an exact replica, while the original was exhibited in his museum in Madeira.
The Israeli businessman, who has been involved in the world of soccer, acquired what was Cristiano’s second Ballon d’Or for $645,000, which went to the children’s organization, which grants life-changing wishes to children with serious illnesses and other problems.