Jan 13, 2014 8:02:00 PM
The 28-year-old has won the prestigious award
for the second time in his career after being
crowned the best player in the world in Zurich
on Monday evening
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has
claimed the Fifa Ballon d'Or, beating off
competition from Barcelona's Lionel Messi and
Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery to secure the
award for a second time.
Although the 28-year-old Portuguese failed to
claim a major trophy at club level, he has been
crowned the world's outstanding footballer
over the course of the last 12 months.
Messi had won each of the last four editions of
the award, including all three since it was
endorsed by Fifa, while Ribery played a pivotal
part in a historic treble-winning season for the
Bavarians, but Ronaldo's tally of 69 goals in 59
games for club and country in 2013 proved
decisive.
Ronaldo previously won the award in 2008 as a
Manchester United player, but has since
finished runner-up to Messi on three occasions
(in 2009, 2011 and 2012).
But as Messi missed much of 2013 through
injury, Ronaldo took advantage as he helped
Real reach the final of the Copa del Rey and
the last four of the Champions League before
signing a new deal with the capital club and
enjoying his best-ever season start under new
coach Carlo Ancelotti in the latter months of
the year, as well as single-handedly firing
Portugal to the World Cup with all four goals in
his side's play-off victory against Portugal over
two legs in November.
And the 28-year-old, who opened a museum in
December in his native Madeira to display his
personal collection of trophies, now has another
Ballon d'Or to exhibit alongside his 2008
award.
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