Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he 'never thought' he would win three Ballon d'Ors in his career after sealing a treble of honours on Monday.
The Real Madrid forward made it back-to-back terms in Zurich, having ended Lionel Messi's hegemony last year, and he was quick to express his gratitude to those who had helped him over the past 12 months.
“I would like to thank all of those who voted for me. It has been an incredible year,” he said upon tearfully receiving the award.
“I would like to continue the work that I have done so far. I want to try to improve, to become better as each day goes by.
“I never thought that I would bring this trophy back home on three occasions. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time.”
