04/01/2024
04/01/2024
DUBAI, Jan 4: Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo clinched the prestigious Maradona Award for Best Scorer of the Year 2023 at the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards, supported by the Dubai Sports Council. The 14th edition awards ceremony is set to take place at the Atlantis Hotel and Resort on January 19.
Ronaldo secured the accolade by surpassing competition from Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Erling Haaland. This achievement adds another feather to Ronaldo's cap of individual successes, as he notched an impressive 54 goals in 59 matches. It marks his highest goal tally in a single year since 2017 when he played for Real Madrid, scoring 53 goals. This feat solidifies Ronaldo's position as the Best Scorer of the Year, ahead of Kylian Mbappe (52 goals in 53 matches), Harry Kane (52 goals in 57 matches), and Erling Haaland (50 goals in 60 matches for Manchester City).
This award is a crowning moment for Ronaldo's remarkable career in the past year, particularly considering his age of 38. He scored 34 goals for Saudi team Al-Nasr, contributing to their pursuit of the Saudi Professional League title. Despite his age, Ronaldo remains a strong contender for the Best Player award in the tournament, the world award, the best player in the Middle East, and the fans' best player award. Notably, Ronaldo holds the title of the game's all-time top scorer, boasting over 873 goals.
The final round of voting for the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards saw an impressive participation of football fans globally, with over 50 million votes recorded across 11 main categories, six digital categories, and the inaugural Italian League Awards, including the Italian League. The total number of participants reached a staggering 70 million, doubling the votes compared to 2022.