Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly refused to send his votes to determine Kopa trophy winner

Cristiano Ronaldo has once more grabbed the headlines after the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony, but regrettably, not for the right reasons.

It has been reported that the Portuguese legend abstained from casting his vote to determine the winner of the Kopa Trophy.

Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or story in the last couple of years appears to reflect a fall from grace. While the 38-year-old secured the award five times between 2008 and 2017, he has gone empty-handed in the past six years, signaling a significant drop in his standing at 38 years old.

The Al-Nassr captain didn't even make the shortlist this year, and to compound matters, his long-standing rival, Lionel Messi, claimed the prize for the eighth time in his career, further cementing his status among the sport's all-time greats.

The Ballon d'Or jury for this year comprised 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries, and Messi emerged as the victor with 462 points, a substantial 105 points ahead of Erling Haaland, who came in second, per Eurosport.

Ronaldo snubbed Kopa Trophy votes

For the Kopa Trophy, which annually honours the world's best U-21 player, France Football entrusted the decision to former Ballon d'Or winners.

Despite being eligible due to his five prior wins, Ronaldo reportedly declined to participate.

In his absence, Messi, Karim Benzema, and Zinedine Zidane cast their votes, ultimately awarding Jude Bellingham for his outstanding season with Borussia Dortmund and impressive World Cup performance with England.

Sportskeeda reports that Ronaldo has not responded to French media requests and has not been part of the jury for over a year now.