Cristiano Ronaldo wins The best Fifa men’s player and Zinedine Zidane wins The Best FIFA Men’s Coach
Cristiano Ronaldo won his second-straight Best FIFA Men’s Player award Monday.
The Best FIFA Men’s Player was originally awarded as the FIFA World Player of The Year before being rebranded as the FIFA Ballon d’Or between 2010-2015.
The first Best FIFA Men’s Player was awarded in January 2017 with Ronaldo winning.
This award allowed fans to have a say, giving them the ability to vote for their favorites. It also used team captains and members of the press.
Following a shortlist of 24 players, the final three contenders for the award were Lionel Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.
The Ballon d’Or will be awarded later this year.
Ronaldo or Messi have held the Ballon d’Or title since 2007. Ronaldo holds the prize right now.
Ronaldo takes home the award for the second year in a row, as he managed to defeat competition from fellow finalists Neymar and Lionel Messi at the awards cere
The 32-year-old turned in another stunning campaign for Madrid in 2016-17 as he led the Blancos to a La Liga and Champions League double, including a brace in the Champions League final against Juventus.
Ronaldo netted 25 times in La Liga last term and added 12 goals in the Champions League to round off another sensational goalscoring season.
Messi, meanwhile, scored an incredible 54 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions last term, but only managed to get his hands on the Copa del Rey with Barca – and it was ultimately Madrid’s title wins that assured victory for their star forward.
“Thank you, a lot, to the guys who voted for me. I must also mention Leo and Neymar, for being here,” Ronaldo said after recieving the prize.
Zinedine Zidane was awarded Best Coach. Dutch duo Lieke Martens and Sarina Wiegman were rewarded as The Best FIFA Women’s Player and Women’s coach.
Despite approaching his 40th birthday, Gianluigi Buffon proved that age is just a number by being named The Best FIFA Goalkeeper, with the Italian custodian on hand to pick up the inaugural award to celebrate the men between the sticks.
After picking up The Best FIFA Goalkeeper, it was no surprise that the Juve and Azzurri stopper was also named the top goalkeeper by his peers, in a FIFA FIFPro World11 dominated by Real Madrid players. Cristiano Ronaldo was joined in the star-studded XI by club team-mates Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, with Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Neymar completing the dream team.
Fans from around the globe voted in their hundreds of thousands for the Puskás and FIFA Fan Awards, with Frenchman Olivier Giroud the ultimate winner for the former thanks to his superb ‘scorpion kick’ goal scored for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in the English Premier League. Celtic supporters scooped the second Fan Award, thanks to their stunning 360-degree card tribute to the ‘Lisbon Lions’.
In an evening sprinkled by show business, with star of small and large screen Idris Elba hosting proceedings, it was a true story fit for Hollywood that saw the FIFA Fair Play Award handed to Francis Kone. The Togolese forward saved the life of an opponent by administering on-pitch first aid after a collision – the fourth time he had saved a player’s life on the football pitch.
Musical entertainment was provided by Stomp and Kasabian, the latter of whom brought the house down with a performance of “Ill Ray”. It is certain that in more than a century of hosting star-studded occasions, the London Palladium has never seen a night quite like this one.
The Best, in full
Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Women’s Player: Lieke Martens
Men’s Coach: Zinedine Zidane
Women’s Coach: Sarina Wiegman
Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon
Puskás Award: Olivier Giroud
Fan Award: Celtic supporters
Fair Play Award: Francis Kone
World11:
Gianluigi Buffon; Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Toni Kroos, Andres Iniesta, Luka Modric; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar.