Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA's best men's footballer of 2016 on Monday, beating Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann.
In 2016, Ronaldo helped Real Madrid clinch the top European club honor by scoring the last penalty of a shoot-out to decide the final of the UEFA Champions League. He finished top of the competition's scoring charts with 16 goals, seven more than the second-placed player.
The Best FIFA Men's Player Award winner Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid kisses the trophy during the awards ceremony on January 9, 2017 in Zurich, Switzerland. /CFP Photo
The Portugal captain lifted the first major trophy in his country's history at EURO 2016, upsetting hosts France in the final in Paris.
Ronaldo and members of his family pose with the award. /CFP Photo
The Portugal captain lifted the first major trophy in his country's history at UE-+FA EURO 2016, upsetting hosts France in the final in Paris.
Under a new voting system, the winner of the award was chosen via a process in which 50 percent of the result was based on the choices of the captains and head coaches of all the world's national teams.
Ronaldo and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez. /CFP Photo
The other 50 percent was split between the result of an online public ballot and submissions from a select group of more than 200 members of the media from around the world.
/CFP Photo
Ronaldo claimed more than 34 percent of the vote, while Messi and Griezmann obtained less than 27 percent and 8 percent respectively.
The 31-year-old star first won the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in 2008.
(Based on an original story by Xinhua)
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