Cristiano Ronaldo has won five Ballons d'Or during his glittering career, but he shocked fans by deciding to sell one of his trophies.
Typically, footballers who win the Ballon d'Or hand over a replica version of the trophy to their club.
Others keep the replica for their own personal trophy collection, or some even donate it to a museum.
However, Ronaldo took a different decision; in 2017 he decided to auction off his 2013 Ballon d'Or for charity, as per MARCA.
Advert
The 2013 Ballon d'Or was only Ronaldo's second in his career, with the award breaking a four-year streak of Lionel Messi lifting the prize.
Ronaldo won with 27.99% of the vote, with Messi earning 24.72% and finishing second.
The trophy went to auction, with all the proceeds going to Make-A-Wish, the charity which helps children suffering from serious illnesses.
The event took place in London and Idan Ofer, Israel's richest person, won with a staggering €600,000 winning bid.
He posed with the gold trophy alongside Ronaldo's long-time representative Jorge Mendes.
Also up for grabs at the same auction was a meet and greet with legendary managers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho at a boxing event in Manchester, with €30,000 being forked out for that prize.
Auctions for Ballon d'Or trophies aren't too common although the silverware and memorabilia collected by Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano did sell for a lot in 2021.
His 1957 Ballon d'Or trophy went for £60,800, with his second, picked up two years later, selling for £54,400. The rare 'Super Ballon d'Or', only held by Di Stefano, commanded a winning bid of £187,500.
Ronaldo's last Ballon d'Or came in 2017, meaning Lionel Messi has pulled away in the duel, with eight Ballons d'Or to his name.
Neither Ronaldo or Messi have been included in the 2024 Ballon d'Or shortlist, the first time since 2003 that both have been absent.
Topics: Ballon d'Or, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Football, Real Madrid
Tom Jenkins