Ronaldo second to Messi

Ronaldo scored more goals than Messi over the calendar year, netting 54 for Madrid to go with three more for Portugal, but it was not enough for his club to win any silverware.

“I think he along with Neymar and Messi have marked a milestone in football”.

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi of Argentina (R) shakes hand with FC Barcelona’s Neymar’of Brazil after receiving the World Player of the Year award during the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2015 ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, January 11, 2016.

“Messi winning the Ballon d’Or is a great triumph for Barcelona, our supporters and mainly, Leo himself”.

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AS led with that percentage, adding that it was a “fifth Ballon d’Or for an eternal player” while giving a Real hint with the winner’s quote: ‘It’s special, it’s been two years watching Cristiano win’.

“It’s incredible that it’s my fifth”.

Messi got 41.33 per cent of total voting points in a 23-candidate ballot.

The FC Barcelona No. 10 was an influential figure in all the five titles claimed in 2015: La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The victor was chosen by the coaches and captains of the national teams as well as by global media representatives.

United States midfielder Carli Lloyd claimed the women’s world player of the year gong.

Ellis won the women’s coach award with 42.98% after taking the U.S.to its third World Cup title in Canada.

“I honestly wouldn’t be sitting up here, standing up here, without my incredible teammates”, said Lloyd, who made the three-player shortlist for the first time at age 33.

With former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola thought to be in line to coach an English club next season, those rumours have been getting louder of late. Neither could attend due to team commitments. Lira’s bicycle kick topped an online poll that logged more than 1.6 million votes.

The Barcelona and Argentina forward finished ahead of Ronaldo and Brazil forward Neymar as he scooped the award for the fifth time overall, having previously won it four years in a row from 2009 to 2012.

Still, FIFA withheld the Presidential Award that Sepp Blatter would traditionally pick and present.