Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo wins fourth Ballon d’Or

The Portugal footballer Ronaldo got his fourth Ballon d’Or award, this year, Cristiano beats rival Lionel Messi.

However, Barcelona crashed out of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal to Atletico Madrid, and Messi’s national team, Argentina, lost to Chile in the final of the Copa America, which all but wrapped up the award for Ronaldo.

The 31-year-old has scored a total of 102 goals in 110 appearances for club and country throughout the calendar year, helping Real win the Champions League in May and Portugal triumph over hosts France for Euro 2016 in July. “I’m very happy and proud to be receiving this award and I want to thank everyone who works with me and my Real Madrid and Portugal teammates”, Ronaldo said in a report on the club’s website.

Ronaldo, who has so far scored 48 goals in 52 games for club and country during 2016, received 745 points in the voting, according to figures from Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.

Ronaldo’s success was foreshadowed late Sunday when an image purporting to show a leaked front cover of the latest edition of France Football – declaring him the victor – appeared on social media late Sunday. But to win the Champions League as well with Real Madrid was huge’.

Ronaldo is now the most successful European player in the award’s illustrious history, overtaking the likes of Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, but he is already eyeing up a record-equalling fifth crown this time next year.

It only proves that Cristiano Ronaldo’s charisma hasn’t gone off.

Griezmann and Messi, Ronaldo has been shortlisted for The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2016, which will be announced at a ceremony in Zurich on 9 January. For this trophy there are three finalists after various processes of selection: Christian, Messi and Griezmann.

Cristiano Ronaldo said 2016 was “the best year of my career” and cited Portugal’s Euro 2016 victory as the highlight after being named this year’s Ballon d’Or victor.

Manchester United also had two players in the top 17, with Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic 13th and French midfielder Paul Pogba, who became the world’s most expensive player when he joined the Red Devils from Juventus for £89m, 14th.

It was the first major global trophy for both Ronaldo and Portugal.

“It would be interesting to see both of us in the same team”. There is no doubt that Messi and Ronaldo have ruled the roost since 2007-2008 but this year it could not have been given to anyone else other than Ronaldo.