Ronaldo: Ballon d’Or not everything

Dec 19, 2012 7:13:00 PM

The Portuguese says he will not be too hurt if he does not win the accolade, but admits it is a prize he would like to call his own

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said that he will not be disheartened if he is not awarded the Ballon d’Or.

The prize for the world’s best player will be announced in January, with Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi the strong favourites for the title.

However, Ronaldo has stressed that although he would like to win the award, it is team trophies that he views as more important than individual accolades.

“Obviously I would like to win, I will not be a hypocrite and a liar, it is something that I aspire to, but I cannot think, if I fail, it is the end,” he told the Portuguese Football Federation's official website.

“I can live without an individual award, even if it would be unfair. The career of a footballer is not marked by individual trophies, but by the collective.”

The Portugal international also admitted that he feels more emotionally involved when playing for his country, as opposed to lining up alongside his Madrid team-mates.

“It is one thing playing for your club and another with the national team, they are totally different feelings," he added.

"It is true that the passion to win and compete is similar, but there is more emotional involvement when we do it for our country.”