Why Didn’t Cristiano Ronaldo Vote in the FIFA The Best Awards?
Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from the FIFA The Best voting raised eyebrows, and the reason behind it is more technical than many realized.
The Best 2025 and a Notable Absence
The crowning of Ousmane Dembélé as the winner of the FIFA The Best 2025 award generated plenty of discussion, but one detail stood out above the rest: the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo among the voters. The Portuguese icon, a two-time winner of the award, did not participate in the voting process that determines the world’s best player.
Given Ronaldo’s stature and history with the prize, his absence quickly became a talking point among fans and analysts alike. Portugal was represented in the voting — but without its most famous footballer.
The Sanction That Cost Ronaldo His Vote
The explanation lies entirely within FIFA regulations. Cristiano Ronaldo was not eligible to vote because he was not serving as Portugal’s captain in the most recent official match considered for the voting process. A disciplinary sanction prevented him from wearing the armband in Portugal’s 9–1 victory over Armenia.
As a result, the captaincy — and the right to vote — passed to Bernardo Silva, who officially represented Portugal in the FIFA The Best voting.
How Portugal Voted Without Cristiano Ronaldo
Acting as captain, Bernardo Silva placed Vitinha as his first choice, followed by Nuno Mendes, with Ousmane Dembélé in third place. Meanwhile, Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez submitted his own ballot, ranking Mendes first, Vitinha second, and Lamine Yamal third.
Portugal therefore had full representation in the voting process, just not through Ronaldo himself.
A Technical Detail With Big Impact
While the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo sparked debate, it was neither a personal decision nor a FIFA snub. It was the direct consequence of a disciplinary situation that removed his captaincy at a key moment. Notably, Ronaldo was also absent from the list of nominees for the 2025 edition of The Best.
A small regulatory detail was enough to sideline one of football’s most influential figures from the voting — a reminder that even the biggest stars remain bound by the rules of the game.
