Cristiano Ronaldo threatens to boycott Ballon d’Or ceremony

Cristiano Ronaldo has threatened to boycott the Ballon d’Or after accusing UEFA president Michel Platini of attempting to unsettle him.

Platini suggested that the award’s voting deadline was extended for the sake of the Real Madrid forward, but although his tone was lighthearted, some Spanish outlets claimed that the Frenchman was being serious with his remarks.

Either way, Ronaldo has taken the comments to heart and refused to respond to Platini, while suggesting he may not go to the ceremony on January 13 in Zurich and instead stay in Madrid or go to Portugal.

“I think that [Platini] was trying to provoke me,” the 28-year-old told reporters in Madeira, where he is enjoying a few days’ rest and preparing for the opening of his own personal museum. “I will not respond.

“On the day of the Ballon d’Or ceremony I may be in Spain or in Zurich… or in Madeira.”

The Portuguese winger is currently the bookmakers’ favorite to win the forthcoming Ballon d’Or, ahead of fellow frontrunners Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi.