Ballon d'Or 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win fifth award

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or award for the fifth time - and the second year in a row.

Victory took the 32-year-old Portugal international level with 30-year-old Argentine Messi, who won the most recent of his five awards in 2015.

Messi's ex-Barcelona team-mate Neymar, now at Paris St-Germain, was third.

Last season, Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Champions League and their first La Liga title since 2012.

Ronaldo added the 2017 Ballon d'Or to those he won in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016, and Messi is the only other recipient of the award since 2009.

"This is something I look forward to every year," he said, after receiving the award on the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

"Thanks to my Real Madrid team-mates. And I want to thank the rest of the people who helped me reach this level."

The 2016-17 campaign was a stellar season for the former Manchester United player.

After helping Portugal win Euro 2016, he scored 42 goals for Real in all competitions as they won their 33rd La Liga title and 12th European Cup.

He scored twice in a 4-1 Champions League final win over Juventus and netted 25 times in 29 league games as Los Blancos finished three points ahead of Barcelona.

What is the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or is voted for by 173 journalists from around the world.

It has been awarded by France Football every year since 1956, but for six years it became the Fifa Ballon d'Or in association with world football's governing body and was awarded to the world's best player.

However, Fifa ended its association with the award in September 2016.

At Fifa's awards in October, Ronaldo was named the world's best male player and also named in the Fifpro World XI.

How did Premier League players do?

Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante was the highest-placed Premier League player, finishing eighth. The France international won his second successive top-flight title last season and was named both the PFA and Football Writers' player of the year.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane, the only Englishman on the shortlist, finished 10th, Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was 14th and Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard was 19th.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane was 23rd while team-mate and playmaker Philippe Coutinho was 29th.

Social media reaction and images

Ballon d'Or winners: Ronaldo & Messi dominate since 2008
2008	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi	Fernando Torres
2009	Lionel Messi	Cristiano Ronaldo	Xavi
2010	Lionel Messi	Andres Iniesta	Xavi
2011	Lionel Messi	Cristiano Ronaldo	Xavi
2012	Lionel Messi	Cristiano Ronaldo	Andres Iniesta
2013	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi	Franck Ribery
2014	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi	Manuel Neuer
2015	Lionel Messi	Cristiano Ronaldo	Neymar
2016	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi	Antoine Griezmann
2017	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi	Neymar

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493 comments

Comment posted by Blimey, at 19:12 7 Dec 2017
Quite fitting that he and Messi are equal on d'Or wins really. Messi seems more likeable but they're both incredible in footballing terms.
Comment posted by PranR17, at 19:37 7 Dec 2017
Ronaldo an Messi are very equal when it comes to goalscoring. But anyone who watches both play regularly should be able to see that Messi is better. Ronaldo is a pure goalscorer. Messi is a goalscorer and a creator, he's like Ronaldo and Iniesta rolled into one. That's why he dominates Ronaldo in terms of assists.
Comment posted by robin, at 19:38 7 Dec 2017
I believe he is opening another museum dedicated to himself.

Wider doors so his head can get through.
Comment posted by D1679092449428, at 19:33 7 Dec 2017
36. Posted by LondonMark
5 times winner and Man U SOLD HIM!!!!
___
They had no choice he wanted to better himself, and he did
Comment posted by ukipsupporter, at 20:18 7 Dec 2017
But which of them is the best tax dodger?
Comment posted by D1679223888070, at 20:36 7 Dec 2017
Dunno how anyone can take this 'prize' seriously, Buffon 4th and de Gea 20th?? I mean come on! How is Buffon 4th? He's a very good goalkeeper but just no.
Comment posted by Soph69, at 19:30 7 Dec 2017
So the best player in the world in 2017 is a striker who has scored 2 goals in La Liga this season (1 of which was a rebound from a penalty he missed).

Messi has been far better

Ronaldo only won cos of Real success in the champions league
Comment posted by SamB, at 19:32 7 Dec 2017
@38, Did you seriously just put Rashford and Alli in the same sentence as Neymar and Mbappe? Seriously?
Comment posted by User0652961708, at 19:39 7 Dec 2017
Messi is still the better player.
Comment posted by Tobyque, at 19:04 7 Dec 2017
How?
Comment posted by TheFridge, at 19:56 7 Dec 2017
The yearly lets slurp on Ronaldo's & Messi's balls get together.
Comment posted by U16850792, at 19:33 7 Dec 2017
was Pele or Jairzinho or Cruyff or Beckenbauer or Rivelino or Eusebio or Charlton or Moore up for this award?When footballers were just MEN and not pseudo-Gods that people fawn over and fall to the floor at the mere mention of their names?............or am I living in a time warp when football was great?..........yawn........
Comment posted by The gospel according to Dan, at 19:37 7 Dec 2017
Unbelievable player since he left united. One of the all time greats.
If he was still at united he would be helping his team mates to stifle the opposition and park the bus ! Or trying to get on the end of those long balls. Under direct orders through Moyes and now Mourinho.
Comment posted by User0338497287, at 19:15 7 Dec 2017
Could be worse... Buffon might of ended up forth as a shout out to him retiring this year rather than him being the best in his position... O'wait what?!
Comment posted by sumnersais, at 19:20 7 Dec 2017
Why does Peter Crouch never get the Ballon d'Or? Probably a conspiracy against the mighty Stoke. Although I'll be extremely surprised if Shawcross doesn't win this next year.
Comment posted by D1679556536827, at 19:31 7 Dec 2017
What is this! Messi has better stats every single year but Ronaldo wins more trophies so he gets it. How thick are the people who say ronaldo is better because the team won it better. Real madrid aren't up for the trophy. Absolute joke.
Comment posted by Terje, at 19:44 7 Dec 2017
@14 "Ronaldo runs away at speed having won international trophies single handedly"

Ronaldo has won 1 international trophy and that was a farce.

Portugal drew all 7 of their games eventually winning in extra time of the final (which Ronaldo was injured in). That success does nothing to add to his ability as a player!
Comment posted by D1679463376683, at 19:51 7 Dec 2017
I see they overlooked Carlton Palmer yet again
Comment posted by VAR, at 19:36 7 Dec 2017
5 Times winner Ronaldo - 5 for Messi.

Sounds fair! As they have been equally as good the past decade.

Now, that will be the last time for the two of them, as a fresh generation of players are coming through.

Anybody bar Neymar next year please. Awful narcissistic personality.!
Comment posted by bhbhbh, at 20:27 7 Dec 2017
History won't see them as comparable. Ronaldo's got some fancy skills, good in the air, a decent shot on him. Messi is a Playstation footballer. His runs break the rules of physics. You're sitting there thinking "I don't know how he's managed to do that"; even having watched it 10 times, on super slow-mo. Ronaldo doesn't have that other-worldly factor.