Cristiano Ronaldo sells Ballon d’Or trophy to Israel’s richest man
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Al Nassr forward, has sold his 2013 Ballon d’Or title to Israel’s richest billionaire, Idan Ofer. The plaque was auctioned off for charity, raising around £532,000 for the Make-A-Wish organization.
According to Marca, with the original trophy apparently on display at his Madeira museum, Ronaldo ordered that a copy be built to sell at a charity auction in London.
During his stellar career, Ronaldo has received the honor five times. Of his five medals, the then-Real Madrid forward narrowly beat out Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery in 2013. Ribery previously won the treble with Bayern Munich in 2012-13.
Ronaldo scored 55 goals for Real Madrid but did not win a trophy, as Bayern Munich won the Champions League and Barcelona won La Liga.
According to Forbes, Ofer is worth a reported £8.1 billion. He made his fortune in mining, shipping, and energy before going into the sports sector.