Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday won fifth Ballon d'Or award for the best player of the year ahead of Barcelona rival Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar. The Real Madrid forward's second successive win also draws him level alongside Argentina star Messi (five Ballon d'Ors). The 32-year-old was the top-scorer in last season's Champions League as Real successfully defended the trophy with victory over Juventus in June, and also led the Spanish giants to their first La Liga title in five years.
"Of course I feel happy. This is something I look forward to every year," Ronaldo said at the ceremony at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
"The trophies won last year helped to win this award. Thanks to the Real Madrid team-mates. And I want to thank the rest of the people who helped me reach this level."
Ronaldo, who also won the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award in October, added the 2017 Ballon d'Or to his previous wins in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The prestigious France Football magazine award is decided upon by a journalists' ballot, with each naming a top five from a list of 30.
A list of all Ballon d'Or winners since the first award in 1956 after Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned for a record-equalling fifth time at a ceremony in Paris on Thursday:
1956: Stanley Matthews (ENG)
1957: Alfredo Di Stefano (ESP)
1958: Raymond Kopa (FRA)
1959: Alfredo Di Stefano (ESP)
1960: Luis Suarez (ESP)
1961: Omar Sivori (ITA)
1962: Josef Masopust (CZE)
1963: Lev Yachin (USSR)
1964: Denis Law (SCO)
1965: Eusebio (POR)
1966: Bobby Charlton (ENG)
1967: Florian Albert (HUN)
1968: George Best (NIR)
1969: Gianni Rivera (ITA)
1970: Gerd Muller (GER)
1971: Johan Cruyff (NED)
1972: Franz Beckenbauer (GER)
1973: Johan Cruyff (NED)
1974: Johan Cruyff (NED)
1975: Oleg Blokhin (URS)
1976: Franz Beckenbauer (GER)
1977: Alan Simonsen (DEN)
1978: Kevin Keegan (ENG)
1979: Kevin Keegan (ENG)
1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (GER)
1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (GER)
1982: Paolo Rossi (ITA)
1983: Michel Platini (FRA)
1984: Michel Platini (FRA)
1985: Michel Platini (FRA)
1986: Igor Belanov (USSR)
1987: Ruud Gullit (NED)
1988: Marco van Basten (NED)
1989: Marco van Basten (NED)
1990: Lothar Matthaus (GER)
1991: Jean-Pierre Papin (FRA)
1992: Marco van Basten (NED)
1993: Roberto Baggio (ITA)
1994: Hristo Stoichkov (BUL)
1995: George Weah (LBR)
1996: Matthias Sammer (GER)
1997: Ronaldo (BRA)
1998: Zinedine Zidane (FRA)
1999: Rivaldo (BRA)
2000: Luis Figo (POR)
2001: Michael Owen (ENG)
2002: Ronaldo (BRA)
2003: Pavel Nedved (CZE)
2004: Andrei Shevchenko (UKR)
2005: Ronaldinho (BRA)
2006: Fabio Cannavaro (ITA)
2007: Kaka (BRA)
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2009: Lionel Messi (ARG)
2010: Lionel Messi (ARG)
2011: Lionel Messi (ARG)
2012: Lionel Messi (ARG)
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2015: Lionel Messi (ARG)
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
2017: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR)
Factfile on Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo
Name: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Age: 32
Date of birth: February 5, 1985
Place of birth: Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
Position: Forward
Clubs: Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003), Manchester United (2003-2009), Real Madrid (since 2009)
National team: Portugal
International appearances: 147
International goals: 79
International debut: August 20, 2003, Portugal 1 Kazakhstan 0
Honours
Club
Champions League (4): 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017
Club World Cup (3): 2008, 2014, 2016
English Premier League (3): 2007, 2008, 2009
English FA Cup (1): 2004
English League Cups (2): 2006, 2009
Community Shields (2): 2007, 2008
Spanish La Liga (2): 2012, 2017
Spanish Copa Del Rey (2): 2011, 2014
Spanish Supercup (2): 2012, 2017
Portuguese Supercup (1): 2002
International
European Championship: winner (2016)
Individual Honours
Ballon d'Or (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)
FIFA World Player of the Year (2008, 2017)
Four times top European Goal Scorer (2008, 2011, 2014, 2015)
Three times top scorer in the Spanish league: (2011: 41 goals; 2014: 31 goals; 2015: 48 goals)
Top scorer in the English Premier League (2008: 31 goals)
Five times top scorer in the Champions League (2008 with eight goals, 2013 with 12 goals, 2014 with 17, 2015 with 10, 2015-2016 with 16, 2016-17 with 12)
Record of goals scored in one season of the Champions League (2013-2014: 17)
(WIth AFP Inputs)
- Ronaldo won a record-equalling fifth Ballon d'Or award
- The 32-year-old was the top-scorer in last season's Champions League
- "This is something I look forward to every year," says Ronaldo
