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Cristiano Ronaldo has been named winner of the 61st Ballon d’Or, his fourth career prize for world player of the year.
The Real Madrid star, currently in Japan, beat rival Lionel Messi to the award for the world’s best player.The result was hardly a surprise after a 'leaked' copy of France Football showed the Real Madrid on the cover with the trophy.
The win takes Ronaldo within one win of Messi's record five gongs.
Ronaldo was presented the award at Real's home the Santiago Bernabeu by France Football's managing director Pascal Ferre before leaving for Japan.
In a video released by organisers, Ronaldo said: "The emotion is like the first one. It’s like the dream come true all over again."
Ronaldo also thanked his team-mates from the Portugal national team and Real Madrid, with whom he won this year's Euro 2016 and Champions League titles.The three top contenders for the award were spread across the world as organisers counted down the top 20 starting with equal 17th-placed Dimitri Payet, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
In a bizarre twist, the countdown made it to Gareth Bale in sixth before skipping to announce Ronaldo as the winner.
Jamie Vardy was named in eighth while Riyad Mahrez, named tonight the African Footballer of the Year, was seventh.
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