Cristiano Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro reacts to post claiming his Ballon d'Ors were 'earned, not given' after Lionel Messi's 8th award win

Coming on the heels of Lionel Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or, Cristiano Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro has reacted positively to a post that claimed her brother's awards were 'earned, not given'.

Messi did the unprecedented by securing his eighth Ballon d'Or earlier this week. Meanwhile, Ronaldo, who has just five, has been seen laughing under posts seemingly mocking the Argentine legend. His sister has also shown a similar sentiment on social media, subtly questioning Messi's latest triumph.

The Argentine playmaker's accolade came on the back of his outstanding performances for his country, leading them to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This recent success placed him three Ballon d'Ors ahead of Ronaldo, who clinched his fifth and most recent award in 2017.

As Lionel Messi was celebrated for this accomplishment, there were those who insinuated that the award was akin to a nod for his entire career. However, the Ballon d'Or is supposed to be focused on his performances in the past year, but some believe that this is not the case.

In the aftermath of the award ceremony, Katia Aveiro was spotted expressing agreement with this school of thought. She reacted to a post on Instagram that showcased a photo of Cristiano Ronaldo adorned with his myriad awards. He was surrounded by his collection, boasting three UEFA Men's Player of the Year titles, four European Golden Shoes, and five Ballon d'Ors.

The accompanying caption to this post stated, 'earned, not given', which seemed to take a shot at Messi. Aveiro acknowledged the post with five applauding emojis. It is uncertain if this was a tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's own awards or merely a gesture of agreeing with the claims that Messi's award was given and not earned.

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Lionel Messi clinches 8th Ballon d'Or as Cristiano Ronaldo misses out on nomination entirely

On October 30 in Paris, Lionel Messi was once again crowned the world's best footballer, securing his record-setting eighth Ballon d'Or.

Despite facing stiff competition from Manchester City sensation Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe, Messi was eventually able to secure the award. Notably, the 2023 Ballon d'Or nominee list saw an unprecedented omission, as Cristiano Ronaldo's name was missing.

This marked the first time since 2003 that the Portuguese maestro did not find himself in contention for the esteemed award. However, this was likely due to his ineffectiveness at Manchester United and his eventual exit from Europe entirely.