December 13 – Their rivalry off the field remains just as intense as on it as Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat rival Lionel Messi to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a fourth time.
The award has been revived by France Football which founded the European Footballer of the Year prize in 1956 and is now a separate prize, decided by 173 journalists, having split with FIFA after five years of partnership.
The Portuguese forward came first ahead of Messi and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann having led Real to victory over over neighbours Atletico in May in the Champions League final when he converted the decisive penalty in the shootout, and then led his country to become European champions for the first time in France.
Ronaldo, who has so far scored 48 goals in 52 games for club and country this year, is currently in Japan at the Club World Cup.
“It is a great honour to receive my fourth Golden Ball. The emotion is like the first one, it is the dream come true again. I never thought in my mind to win four times the Golden Ball, so I am so pleased and so happy,” he said.
The 31-year-old is now one behind Barcelona’s Messi, who took the honour for a fifth time last year.
FIFA will hand out its own prize for the world’s best men’s player, along with the best women’s player and team of the year, at the Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony in Zurich on January 9.
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