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How one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or trophies ended up with Israel’s richest person

Published 18:39 10 Jan 2023 GMT

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Imagine having that many you feel like you have too many clogging up your house

Fair play to Cristiano Ronaldo for this selfless deed. Have you ever won so many trophies that you feel like they're taking up too much space in your house? No, me neither. Cristiano Ronaldo on the other hand has won a lot of trophies, and I mean a lot. From Champions Leagues to Premier Leagues, he's had his fair share. One of his better individual accolades though is his Ballon d'Or, except he doesn't have one, he has five. However, Ronaldo decided to part ways with one of his Ballon d'Or trophies (the 2013 trophy), donating it to charity, as revealed by Marca.

Money went to a good cause

The Cristiano Ronaldo trophy went to auction, in 2017, to raise money for Make-A-Wish, the charity which helps children suffering from serious illnesses. Idan Ofer, Israel's richest person, won the prize and won with a €600,000 bid. He posed alongside the trophy with Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes. Auctions for Ballon d'Or's aren't the most common practice however former Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano sold his for a huge price. His 1957 Ballon d'Or went for £60,800, with his second, picked up two years later, selling for £54,400. The rare 'Super Ballon d'Or', only held by Di Stefano, went for £187,500. Ronaldo's most recent Ballon d'Or came back in 2017, allowing Lionel Messi to pull ahead in the personal competition, who has seven to his name. Follow the latest transfer rumours in our dedicated hub here.