Saudi league raises fresh questions: why was Cristiano Ronaldo left out of the Ballon d'Or nominees?

Was the Portuguese superstar dealt with unfairly?

The Saudi league curse appears to be following Cristiano Ronaldo once again. The Al-Nassr captain has again failed to secure a Ballon d'Or nomination.

France Football magazine revealed the complete shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or on Tuesday, the prize awarded to the best player in the world.

The list included players from the Saudi Roshn League, but Ronaldo was not among them. The two selected were Senegal forward Sadio Mane, his Al-Nassr team-mate, and Mexico striker Julian Quinones of Al-Qadsiah.

This is the fourth consecutive time that the Portuguese icon has been absent from the initial Ballon d'Or shortlist.

That dry run came after an extraordinary period. For 18 straight years, Ronaldo had never fallen off the initial list of contenders for the award.

Did the Saudi Pro League cost Ronaldo a Ballon d'Or chance?

Curiously, this decline began after Ronaldo moved to the Saudi league, joining Al-Nassr in January 2023 after his Manchester United contract was terminated.

For some observers, the reason lies in the level of the Saudi Roshn League itself. Ronaldo has still not won any major silverware with Al-Nassr, and that trophy drought has also extended to the international stage with Portugal.

Why Quinones and Mane, but not Ronaldo?

The puzzling part is that Quinones received his first Ballon d'Or nomination after a debut season in which he ended as the Saudi league's top scorer. Ronaldo never managed that in the same context, despite winning the same award twice.

Quinones undoubtedly impressed at the 2026 World Cup, scoring 4 goals and registering one assist. However, Ronaldo also scored 3 goals in the tournament before exiting in the round of 16, the very same stage where Mexico were knocked out.

At domestic level, Ronaldo bettered Quinones in terms of team achievement, guiding Al-Nassr to the Saudi league title after a 7-year wait.

No player had a greater influence on that success than the Portuguese forward. He scored 28 goals in the Roshn League, 5 fewer than Quinones, while Al-Qadsiah finished fourth.

The dilemma of international brilliance

Ronaldo was the main force behind Al-Nassr's league-winning campaign, yet the nomination went instead to his team-mate Sadio Mane, who produced only 10 goals and 6 assists in the Roshn League last season.

Mane's displays for Senegal at international level appear to explain his selection. He led them to the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and even to the title itself, before an administrative ruling by the Confederation of African Football later took it away from them.

At the 2026 World Cup, however, Mane did not score. He recorded just one assist as the Lions of Teranga suffered an early exit in the round of 32.

Apparently, reaching a continental final and performing well domestically was enough to hand Mane a Ballon d'Or nomination. So why was Ronaldo denied one in 2025?

The Portuguese star led his national side to the 2025 UEFA Nations League title, finished as top scorer in the Saudi Roshn League, and inspired Al-Nassr to third place behind Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal.

Even so, none of that was enough to earn him a nomination. The question remains: why has Ronaldo been excluded from these lists ever since he moved to the Saudi league?

Ballon d'Or history

Whatever happens next, Ronaldo's standing in Ballon d'Or history remains beyond doubt, especially in terms of nominations.

No player has appeared on the initial shortlist more times than the Portuguese legend. His 18 nominations leave him one ahead of his great Argentine rival Lionel Messi.

Italian defender Paolo Maldini is third with 13, just ahead of Dutch great Johan Cruyff, Germany's Franz Beckenbauer and France's Karim Benzema, all of whom have 12.