Cristiano Ronaldo could receive Carabao Cup winners medal under one condition

On Sunday afternoon, Manchester United claimed their first piece of domestic silverware in six years as they defeated Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

The Carabao Cup victory came thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford, alongside spectacular performances from the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, to name a few.

It is the first trophy that Erik ten Hag has won as Manchester United manager, with many hoping that the victory can be a catalyst for future success.

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This season has already been a rollercoaster for Erik ten Hag and his squad, having to deal with incredible scrutiny after poor performances, a world cup halting the season, and multiple off-field dramas circulating the club – with none bigger than the saga that led to Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract termination.

After failing to secure a move away from the club in the summer of 2022, Ronaldo was demoted to becoming a rotation player under Ten Hag for the first few months of the season, before doing an unsanctioned interview with Piers Morgan that led to Ronaldo criticising the club’s and Ten Hag’s decisions, leading to the termination of the striker’s contract.

Ronaldo now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia, scoring goals for side Al-Nassr.

However, EFL rules allow Manchester United to award Cristiano Ronaldo with a winner’s medal should they choose to due to the fact that United did not maximise the number of players they could have used throughout the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo did not feature for Manchester United in the Carabao Cup this season but would be eligible for one as he was in the original squad submitted for the competition.

There is an EFL rule, rule 20.2 on the awarding of medals, which states: “In addition to the cup, the management committee shall present 30 souvenirs to the winning club in the final tie, and the 30 souvenirs to the losing club in the final tie.”

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This, essentially, means that the EFL management committee will gift the club with a total of 30 medals – and as 27 players represented Manchester United during the competition, there are spare medals that United could use should they choose to recognise Ronaldo’s involvement in the squad for the first part of the season.

The chances of United doing so are slim – despite holding Ronaldo as a club legend, they did not wish him a happy birthday recently as the striker turned 38, indicating that Ronaldo is a topic the club will want to avoid for the immediate future.

It is safe to say that the squad and club have moved on from Ronaldo very quickly, with the Carabao Cup victory further proving that.

The likes of Casemiro, Varane, Martinez, De Gea, and Marcus Rashford have all emerged as leaders within the dressing room, inspiring a united front at Manchester United and reconnecting with the fans in a way that has not been around for almost a decade.