24 Oct 2017

Ronaldo retains FIFA award for world's best player

11:45 am on 24 October 2017

Real Madrid's Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned the best football player in the world for the second year running at FIFA's The Best awards gala.

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo kisses the trophy after winning The Best FIFA Men's Player of 2017 Award.

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo kisses the trophy after winning The Best FIFA Men's Player of 2017 Award. Photo: AFP

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner won a La Liga and Champions League double with the Madrid club this year, striking twice against Juventus in the European Cup final to help Real become the first team to retain the trophy in its current format.

Barcelona's Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d'or five times, and Paris St Germain's Brazil forward Neymar were runners up for the award voted for by national team coaches and captains, the media and fans.

The Best FIFA Men's Player award and the Ballon d'or, which is voted for only by the media, are now separate awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane won manager of the year trophy for his part in the club's success.

Five Real players were named in the best 11 of the year, with Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos joining Ronaldo, while Messi, Neymar, Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Dani Alves (PSG), Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan) and Andres Iniesta (Barcelona) were also selected.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud won the Puskas Award for the best goal of the year, which was the Frenchman's scorpion kick against Crystal Palace, and Buffon was declared best goalkeeper.

The Netherlands' Lieke Martens won best female player of the year, while the Dutch women's national team coach Sarina Weigman was voted best manager after the team's triumph at Euro 2017.

- Reuters

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