Portugal would rather waste their votes in the just concluded Ballon d’Or award than give it to non Portuguese.
While other countries were busy voting either Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, Portugal voted for their own Bernardo Silva.
Even France did not vote for their own Kylian Mbappe, who stood a chance of winning the award.
France voted for Erling Haaland, who came second behind Lionel Messi in the award ranking.
Portugal felt that Silva, who won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup with Manchester City last season, deserved the most prestigious individual award.
However, Portugal was the only country who gave their points to the Premier League star.
Haaland came second to Lionel Messi, who won the award for a record-extending eighth time.
Individual performance in the previous season, team success during the previous season, player behavior and fair play during the season, are the criteria for awarding a player the Ballon d’Or.