Where are they now? Every player Cristiano Ronaldo voted to win the Ballon d’Or
With Cristiano Ronaldo has the second-most Ballon d’Or awards in history after his rival Lionel Messi, we’ve decided to look back at his votes over the years.
Spoiler alert: as Portugal captain Ronaldo never voted for his eternal rival Messi to win the Ballon d’Or in the years he voted for football’s most prestigious individual award, although he did later on in FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award.
Ronaldo didn’t vote in the years 2011 or 2012, when he finished runner-up to Messi who won it for a third and fourth successive year, but who received his votes in 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015?
We’ve taken a closer look and checked in on where they are today.
Iker Casillas – 2010
Having been a teammate of Ronaldo’s at Madrid, Casillas then confirmed his legacy and legendary status by captaining Spain to World Cup glory.
Many will remember his iconic save from Arjen Robben’s one-on-one chance in the final and that save may have won them the tournament, as the game was goalless at the time.
He remained at Madrid for five more years but faced competition from Diego Lopez, with both switching in and out of the team regularly.
Keylor Navas’ arrival in 2014, in what was his final season at the club.
After that, he made the switch to Porto where he featured for five years, winning two trophies before retiring in 2020.
In retirement, he worked as an advisor to Florentino Perez at Madrid while also becoming the deputy to the Real Madrid Foundation CEO.
Xavi – 2010
At the peak of his powers in and around 2010, Xavi had won the World Cup with Spain which was the country’s first in history and he was key in the centre of midfield.
They won four trophies and set a La Liga points record tally at the time.
Having seen his team win the treble in 2015, he opted to say farewell to his boyhood club after 24 years.
He then journeyed to Qatar to play for Al Sadd for four years before retiring in 2019 after winning four trophies.
Xavi is currently lying in wait for his next role in management having left Barca in 2024 after three years in charge.
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Wesley Sneijder – 2010
In years gone by, the Dutchman has cried ‘robbery’ when it came to the 2010 Ballon d’Or awards.
He was the superstar in Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter Milan side, scoring and assisting in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Barcelona and managing an assist in the final.
Plus, he was key in helping Holland reach the World Cup final. And he certainly caught Ronaldo’s eye.
He spent another two years before heading to Galatasaray, where he won eight trophies before a short spell at Nice was followed by his final move to Qatar where he played for Al-Gharafa for two years before retiring in 2019.
Since then, he’s been a pundit in Holland before becoming a strategic advisor for DHSC Utrecht until leaving his post recently.
Radamel Falcao – 2013
At the time, Falcao was a superstar in Europe.
He netted 70 goals in 91 games in two seasons and during the 2012-13 campaign, he fired a hattrick in the Super Cup final, all with his weaker foot to beat Chelsea before helping his side win the Spanish Cup.
That season saw him notch 34 goals in 41 games and he was regarded as one of the most lethal forwards around.
His peak came at Atletico but he then moved on after just two years to join Monaco, scoring 83 in 140 games and helping to the Ligue 1 title in 2017.
There were then spells at Chelsea, Manchester United, Galatasaray and Rayo Vallecano before he moved back home to Colombia to play for Millionarios where he still features aged 39.
Gareth Bale – 2013, 2014 & 2015
Bale was Ronaldo’s partner in crime at Madrid over his peak years, forming their fearsome front three labelled BBC (Benzema, Bale, Cristiano) that caused havoc.
The Welshman hit the ground running after moving from Tottenham and proceeded to post 70 goal contributions in his first two seasons. Plus, he was the standout player in his final year in England.
After that, he won 15 trophies at Madrid before struggling with injury and being slowly phased out.
He only left permanently in 2022 but did manage a brief spell back at Tottenham on loan where he managed 11 in 20 in the Premier League.
His final move came in the MLS as he played for one season at Los Angeles FC before retiring. He now does punditry work and is seen in adverts and on some television channels.
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Mesut Ozil – 2013
In the early 2010s, Ozil was at the peak of his powers and was regarded as one of the best creative playmakers in world football.
Before moving to Arsenal, he managed 25 assists in all competitions and often looked to assist Ronaldo, whose runs were a match made in heaven for his creative vision and passing quality.
As mentioned, he moved to Arsenal and lit up the Premier League for a few seasons before tailing off after Arsene Wenger’s exit.
Unai Emery didn’t fancy him at that stage and he eventually moved to Turkey after winning five trophies in England.
He then had spells with Fenerbache and Istanbul Basaksehir in Turkey before retiring in 2023.
Sergio Ramos – 2014
Ronaldo was always seen to have a good relationship with Ramos, after all, they won it all together.
Plus, the defender delivered an incredible late equaliser in the 2014 Champions League final which allowed them to go on to beat Atletico Madrid, who did triumph in La Liga that season.
However, Ramos was incredible in the run to the final, netting an important brace against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
Injuries began to get the better of him in the later years of his Madrid career before he left in 2021.
He joined Messi at PSG, winning the league twice and the French Super Cup before returning to his boyhood club Sevilla last season.
After being a free agent for well over half a year, he finally linked with Mexico club Monterrey, aged 38.
Karim Benzema – 2014 & 2015
Alongside Bale and Ronaldo as the central striker, Benzema was tasked with linking everything together and allowing the two wingers to cause havoc.
He still had a high amount of goals but those were the years in which he was more selfless, and Ronaldo respected the role he played in allowing him to flourish.
Benzema then took centre stage after Ronaldo’s departure and became the main man under Carlo Ancelotti in his second spell in charge.
That led to him winning the Ballon d’Or in 2022 after a stunning season winning three trophies, and netting 44 goals with 15 in the Champions League.
He then joined Saudi club Al-Ittihad in 2023, where he’s netted 29 times in 43 games and continues to lead the line alongside the likes of N’Golo Kante and Fabinho.
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James Rodriguez – 2015
Featuring in his picks in 2015, Rodriguez had produced a stunning World Cup individual performance in 2014 in Brazil, as Colombia reached the quarter-finals.
He won the Golden Boot and Best Player award and became a sensation before signing for Madrid. He was named the best midfielder in the league that season and won 10 trophies across his time at the club.
After that, he enjoyed a spell at Bayern Munich winning three trophies before spells at Everton, Al-Rayyan, Olympiakos, Sao Paulo, and Rayo Vallecano before completing a move to Mexico side Leon in 2025.
At last summer’s Copa America, he was the standout performer winning the Golden Ball ahead of Messi and, at 33, he will be eyeing the World Cup next year for his final top-level showcase.