Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA best player award

Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or in Zurich on Monday, ending the four-year dominance of Lionel Messi, according to foreign news reports.

AFP reported that the tearful 28-year-old Real Madrid and Portugal star, who won the award in 2008, had been the overwhelming favourite to pip Barcelona and Argentina wonder Messi, winner the previous four years, and France‘s Franck Ribery, who claimed the treble with Bayern Munich in 2013.

Ronaldo won with 27.99 percent of the votes ahead of Messi (24.72 percent) while Ribery was third (23.36 percent) according to France Football, co-organizers of the award with FIFA.

“There are no words to describe how I feel,” Ronaldo was quoted as saying. “I’m delighted, I want to thank all my team-mates, all my family in the room,” he added.

“I want to thank all those who had faith in me and I want to speak again about (recently deceased Portugal legend) Eusebio and (recently deceased former South Africa president) Madiba (Nelson Mandela) and to pay tribute to them one last time.”

“Without doubt I deserved this, Messi and Ribery would have also deserved it,” Ronaldo mentioned. “Each time is different. But I would say that this second Ballon d’Or is more emotional, because my mother and my son (who joined him on stage) are here.”

Real president Florentino Perez paid tribute to Ronaldo, AFP said.

By KH News and news reports (khnews@heraldcorp.com)