Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the biggest stars of modern football, will join Bayern Munich ace Robert Lewandowski on the same platform on Sunday, 27th December, 2020, to talk about their respective journeys to the top of the sport at this year’s Dubai International Sports Conference, which will place under the theme, “Football at the Top,” at the Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa.
A Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiative, the conference is being organised by the Dubai Sports Council and has been bringing football’s top stakeholders together since 2006.
This year, the conference will again feature two of the biggest stars of football, Juventus and Portugal ace “El Don” Ronaldo and 2020 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Lewandowski, alongside leading decision-makers from the world of football.
Ronaldo is a regular visitor to Dubai and counts the city as among his favourite holiday destinations. He has also been a strong supporter of the Dubai International Sports Conference.
A five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or and one of the most decorated players of the modern era, Ronaldo is also a multiple-winner of Dubai Globe Soccer Awards. His many trophies and success at both club and country levels, as well as his list of individual achievements, make him an ideal guest for this year’s conference.
Ronaldo, who has already arrived in Dubai, will talk about his rise to become one of football’s greats while Lewandowski will also detail his journey to the top and talk about his insatiable appetite for goals, which saw him score 55 goals in 47 appearances for Bayern Munich last season, finishing the top goal scorer in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League.
Lewandowski’s stellar season saw Bayern win every game in Europe, including the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain, as well as the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double at home.
Recognised by UEFA as the European Player of the Year in October, the Polish international was named FIFA Men’s Player of the Year last week, ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Both Ronaldo and Lewandowski feature on the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards’ shortlist of nominees for the Player of the Year, alongside Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo has also won three English Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title and FIFA Club World Cup title with Manchester United, as well as the 2016 UEFA European Championship with Portugal and the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League, making him a frontrunner for the Player of the Century (2001-2020) Award, which will be presented on 27th December at the same venue, following the conclusion of Dubai International Sports Conference.
Organised in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council and Dubai International Sports Conference, the Dubai Globe Soccer Awards will also honour Club of the Year and Club of the Century (2001-2020), Coach of the Year and Coach of the Century (2001-2020), and Agent of the Century (2001-2020).
More than 21 million fans have already cast their votes for the awards, and Ronaldo has received the most fan votes in both the Player of the Year and the Player of the Century categories.
The Dubai Sports Council is organising the conference and awards in the presence of those concerned with sports, in general, and football, in particular, from both inside and outside the country, as well as nominees and their representative for the many award categories.
The conference and awards will be the first to be organised with the physical participation and presence of international football stars and the game’s top decision-makers since the outbreak of COVID-19.