Cristiano Ronaldo is the epitome of jaw-dropping athleticism. The Portuguese superstar’s greatness stands tall with the numerous impressive records and trophies he has earned. Recently, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner added the Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of 2023 to the list. However, he might not reach The Atlantis, Dubai, to receive the prestigious award.

The 38-year-old added an additional feather to his cap after beating other top scorers like Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. Now, let’s dive deeper and find out why Ronaldo would be absent from the Globe Soccer’s Maradona Award ceremony.

Cristiano Ronaldo will be absent from Globe Soccer’s Maradona Award

Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be present at the Globe Soccer’s Maradona Awards as he will be doing a China tour for his Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr. The Portuguese legend won for the best goalscorer of 2023 after scoring a whopping 54 goals in 59 games. The year paved the way for Ronaldo to cement his supremacy after 2017 when he netted 53 times for Real Madrid.

The Portuguese pushed back Kylian Mbappe, who scored 52 goals out of 53 matches and won the award. Another soccer star who was in the running for the position was Harry Kane, who played 57 matches and netted 52 times. Behind Kane was the Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland, who scored 50 goals in 60 matches.

It is fascinating that even at the edge of retirement, Ronaldo is at the top of his game and holds the world’s all-time goalscorer record with 873 strikes. Now the Al Nassr captain is also competing for the Maradona Awards in the categories of Best Men’s Player, Fans’ Favorite Player, and Best Middle East Player. Unfortunately, he will miss the ceremony, which is scheduled for January 19th at The Atlantis in Dubai, because of Al Nassr’s China Tour.

Al Nassr is set for a China tour this month

Cristiano Ronaldo is a global star who has a huge fan following in China. Interestingly, the Portuguese’s current club, Al Nassr, announced a China tour back in December. During this tour, the soccer fans of the country would witness friendlies of the Saudi Arabian club against Shanghai Shenhua and Zhejiang FC in Shenzhen on January 24 and 28.

READ MORE: “People Wanted Him To Go Down For Many Years”- Cristiano Ronaldo Defended By Portugal Star For Shutting Up Trolls

Recent reports say that the tickets were sold out within hours as fans were eager to witness Ronaldo playing against their domestic teams. Many who booked the tickets took to social media to share their immense joy at finally getting to meet the soccer legend. What are your thoughts on Ronaldo’s China tour? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for Esports Space