After a charitable auction in London in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo sold his 2013 Ballon d’Or to Idan Ofer, the richest man in Israel. Ronaldo decided to donate the trophy to a good cause after the ceremony. In the end, it was auctioned off to raise money for the Make-A-Wish organisation, and Ofer’s winning bid of €600,000 was accepted.
Ronaldo won the top individual award five times, the first time in 2008 while still a member of the Manchester United roster and the other four times while a member of Real Madrid. The 2013 competition was one of the more competitive ones, with the Portugal star defeating Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery to take first place. Read More: Joao Felix Joins Chelsea On Loan From Atletico Madrid
Did Cristiano Ronaldo sell his original Ballon d’Or?
The real award, according to ESPN, remained on display at Ronaldo’s museum in Madeira but at the time, Marca reports that Ronaldo specifically requested that an extra replica of his 2013 award be auctioned off for charity. The six-figure sum was donated directly to the children’s charity, which grants wishes to kids suffering from serious illnesses. Ronaldo did not attend the auction in person. Instead, it was up to Jorge Mendes, who was acting as his agent at the time, to present Idan Ofer with his prize. Read More: In response to reports about the World Cup 2030, Al-Nassr clarifies the contract of Cristiano Ronaldo
Not only the Ballon d’Or was up for auction, but there were a few other things that were also put up for auction. These included a meet-and-greet with Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, the managers of Manchester City and Manchester United, respectively, which generated €30,000.
Who is Idan Ofer?
According to Forbes, Ofer, the person who made the winning offer for Ronaldo’s trophy, is reportedly worth US$9.9 billion (£8.1 billion). He invested in Atletico Madrid later in 2017 and later became the majority owner of the Portuguese team Famalicao, giving him ownership interests in two football clubs.
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