Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or, beating off competition from Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer.
The Real Madrid star’s triumph is both the second of his career and third including the France Football format, and he defends his throne for successive terms, having ended the Argentine’s four-year grip on the award last year.
2014 proved a successful year for Ronaldo, who lifted both the Copa del Rey and Champions League last season – the latter particularly significant as it ended Los Blancos’ drawn-out pursuit of La Decima.
Despite his failure to impress with Portugal at the World Cup, the forward smashed numerous records throughout the year, most notably scoring the most goals in a single Champions League campaign with 17.
Other highlights of Ronaldo’s 2014 included a statue of himself erected in his hometown of Madeira and sharing both 2013-14’s Golden Shoe with Luis Suarez and the record for most hat-tricks in La Liga with Messi.
