Portugal international, Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the 2017 Ballon D’Or award, his fifth.
With the latest win, he equals the record of five Ballon D’Or awards set by Argentine, Lionel Messi, considered his career rival.
He beat Messi and Brazil’s Neymar Jnr to the Ballon D’Or.
The 32-year-old Ronaldo led Real Madrid to a historic UCL title defence and won the Spanish league title which the club last won in 2012.
He was the leading goal scorer in the UCL for 2016/2017.
Ronaldo and Messi have won each edition of the award since 2008; Kaka being the last footballer that’s not Messi or Ronaldo to have won the award in 2007.
The Ballon D’Or is awarded by France Football to the best player in Europe but has come to be regarded by many as football’s most-prestigious individual award. The judging panel of the award comprises 173 football journalists from across the globe.
Earlier today, he was spotted boarding a jet to what appears to be the Ballon D’Or award.
