Ronaldo Turns Philosophical as Messi Wins FIFA Best Player Award

Victor Okoye, NAN/

Cristiano Ronaldo, conspicuously-absent from the FIFA Best Awards at the La Scala Opera house in Milan, on Tuesday took to Instagram to express his feelings in philosophical terms.

Ronaldo missed out as Lionel Messi was named FIFA Best Player of the Year for the sixth time on Monday.

The Juventus superstar was conspicuous by his absence in Milan at FIFA’s glitzy ceremony on Monday night.

Messi took the award ahead of his long-time rival and Liverpool’s defensive rock Virgil van Dijk.

The FC Barcelona superstar who won La Liga last season as well as the European golden boot last won the award in 2015.

Ronaldo was not even named by the hosts when the FIFPro World XI was announced, with the 34-year-old treated as persona non grata and no mention being made that one of the 11 was missing.

Ten minutes after the ceremony ended in Italy, the Portuguese superstar took to Instagram to show off what he had been up to away from the event.

He seemed to be immersing himself in a book while his son Cristiano Jr appeared to be doing his homework.

Ronaldo also offered up a few words, although it was not quite discernible whether he was talking about his not being victorious, or his current thigh injury.

“Patience and persistence are two characteristics that differentiate the professional from the amateur,” wrote Ronaldo.

“Everything that is big today has started small. You can’t do everything, but do everything you can to make your dreams come true.

“And keep in mind that after night always comes dawn,” a philosophical Ronaldo declared.

FULL LIST OF FIFA BEST 2019 AWARD WINNERS

Men’s player – Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)

Women’s player – Megan Rapinoe (Reign FC and the United States)

Men’s coach – Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Women’s coach – Jill Ellis (United States)

Men’s goalkeeper – Alisson Becker (Liverpool and Brazil)

Women’s goalkeeper – Sari Van Veenendaal (Atletico Madrid and Holland)

Puskas award – Daniel Zsori (Debrecen/Fehervar)

Fan award – Silvia Grecco (Palmeiras)

Fair play award – Marcelo Bielsa and the Leeds squad

FIFPro men’s world XI – Alisson; Matthijs De Ligt, Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Virgil Van Dijk; Frenkie De Jong, Eden Hazard, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi

FIFPro women’s world XI – Sari Van Veenendaal; Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O’Hara, Wendie Renard; Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose Lavelle; Marta, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe.

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