Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo responded sarcastically on Instagram after being left out of the IFFHS' top 10 players of 2023.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner showcased exceptional form for both Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team, establishing himself as the leading goal scorer in 2023 with 53 goals.
He also contributed 15 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions and played a pivotal role in Portugal's flawless qualification for the 2024 UEFA Euros.
Despite Ronaldo's remarkable achievements this year, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) chose to exclude him from their top 10 rankings on December 28.
Portuguese news outlet A Bola shared the list on their Instagram page, prompting Cristiano Ronaldo to react with four sarcastic emojis. They captioned the post:
"Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to our post about the IFFHS rankings of the best players of 2023. The captain of the national team felt like laughing when he saw the elected ones. Do you think the Portuguese deserved to be on the list?"
View this post on Instagram
The IFFHS' Top 10 is as follows:
1. Erling Haaland
2. Kylian Mbappe
3. Lionel Messi
4. Rodri
5. Jude Bellingham
6. Kevin De Bruyne
7. Harry Kane
8. Bernardo Silva
9. Vinicius Junior
10. Lautaro Martinez
Earlier, it was confirmed that Ronaldo will finish 2023 as the top goal scorer after Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that striker Erling Haaland will miss the match against Sheffield United on December 30.
Haaland was the only one who could have caught Ronaldo but since the Norwegian is ruled out of Man City’s next match, the Portuguese is set to finish the year as top goal scorer with 53 goals to his name.
Top scorers for club and country in 2023:
Cristiano Ronaldo - 53 goals
Harry Kane - 52 goals
Kylian Mbappe - 52 goals
Erling Haaland - 50 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023:
- 58 matches
- 53 goals
- 15 assists
After a disastrous 2022 where Ronaldo only managed to bag 16 goals as he had trouble finding consistent game time with Manchester United because he was not greatly favoured by their coach Erik Ten Hag, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner made an astounding comeback, something he is known for, and went all the way to become the top scorer of 2023.