Cristiano Ronaldo continued a fine year with yet another individual award as he won the Ballon d’Or ahead of Lionel Messi for the second successive year.
After winning La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Best Male Player award, among others in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d’Or yet again – the fifth time in his career and the second year in a row.
The Real Madrid superstar is now tied on Ballon d’Or honours with Lionel Messi, who finished second, with his former Barcelona teammate Neymar finishing third. Suffice to say, his fans were in celebratory mood following the announcement. The Portuguese Legend won a record-equalling fifth Ballon d’Or award for the year’s best player.
The 32-year-old was the top-scorer in last season’s Champions League as Real successfully defended the trophy with victory over Juventus in June, and also led the Spanish giants to their first La Liga title in five years.
“Of course I feel happy. This is something I look forward to every year,” Ronaldo said at the ceremony at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
“The trophies won last year helped to win this award. Thanks to my Real Madrid team-mates.”
Messi and Ronaldo have now shared the last 10 Ballons d’Or since the latter’s first win after leading Manchester United to the 2007-08 Champions League title. Neymar will be hoping to take over the mantle of 32-year-old Ronaldo and Messi, 30, in the coming years after coming third for the second time.
Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon finished fourth after helping Juventus to the Champions League final, while Real’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric rounded out the top five.
Centre-back Sergio Ramos was the highest-ranked Spaniard and the third Real player in the top 10, one ahead of French rising star Kylian Mbappe in seventh.
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante was the highest Premier League representative, with Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and England’s Harry Kane completing the top 10.
Article By: Collins, @TousenCollins
