DUSHANBE, 13.12.2016. /NIAT “Khovar”/. Cristiano Ronaldo has been crowned the 2016 Ballon d’Or, as announced by the body that awards the accolade, the magazine France Football. Real Madrid and Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer receives the distinction for the fourth time in his career, after been recognized in 2008, 2013 and 2014, Real Madrid official portal reports.

The Board Room at the Santiago Bernabéu was the venue chosen for the presentation of the award. Cristiano scooped the accolade after earning 745 points in the votes cast by journalists from the FIFA-affiliated federations. This tally saw Ronaldo outperform Lionel Messi (316) and Antonoine Griezmann (198), who finished in second and third respectively.

The madridista striker, who is also the leading marksman in European Cup history and the only player to have scooped four Golden Shoe crowns, was named as the world’s best player on the back of a sensational year. During 2016 he lifted the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid and won Euro 2016 with Portugal, whilst also clinching the UEFA Best European Player award for the second time. In addition, during the course of this calendar year, he has netted 38 times for the Whites and has notched 13 goals for his national side.

The list of nominees for the 2016 Ballon d’Or featured a further five members of the Whites’ squad. Gareth Bale finished in sixth place (60 points) and Pepe in ninth (8), whilst Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were awarded joint 17th place, with a point apiece. Sergio Ramos and 10 other players made the 30-strong list of nominees, but failed to claim any of the votes.