Cristiano Ronaldo Caps Off 2016 With FIFA Best Player Award
REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
Cristiano Ronaldo has capped off his glorious year of 2016 with yet another prize – this time, winning the FIFA Player of the Year Award for 2016.
Ronaldo beat fellow La Liga rivals Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to this decorated prize. The European Championship-winning Portuguese captain secured 34.54% of the total votes, as opposed to the Argentine’s 26.42%, and the Frenchman’s 7.53%.
“I would like thank very warmly all those that voted for me, the fans, the captains and the media. Thank you,” said the 31-year-old in his award-winning speak. “I don’t really have anything to add, awards speak for themselves. I’m really, really happy.”
The Real Madrid star was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI, alongside four of his fellow club teammates, and four arch-rivals from Barcelona.
The La Liga-dominated line-up consisted of the following:
GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
RB: Dani Alves (Juventus)
CB: Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
CB: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
LB: Marcelo (Real Madrid)
CM: Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
CM: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
CM: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
FW: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
FW: Luis Suárez (Barcelona)
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
https://twitter.com/FIFAcom/status/818513383431532544
No players from the Premier League made it to this star-studded line-up, but it was the 2015-16 Premier League winning coach – Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri – who picked up the FIFA Men’s Coach 2016 Award.
The Foxes’ boss secured 22.6% of the total votes, beating Real Madrid’s Champions League winning manager Zinédine Zidane (16.56%), and Portugal National Team’s Euro 2016 winning coach Fernando Santos (16.24%) in the process.
Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas Award for the best goal of 2016.
https://twitter.com/FIFAcom/status/818526938537033729
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