Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was named here as the winner of the 2016 Ballon d’Or for the fourth time, second only to five-time recipient Lionel Messi.

The Portuguese international’s first golden ball came in 2008, before Manchester United sold him to the Blancos for $132 million, EFE news reported.

Ronaldo scored 51 goals in 54 games this year while leading Real Madrid to their record 11th Champions League trophy and Portugal to its first European Championship.

The 31-year-old striker was not on hand for the ceremony in Paris, as Real Madrid are in Japan this week for the semifinals of the Club World Cup.

“This has been the best year of my career from both a team and individual level,” Ronaldo said in an interview recorded earlier at the Santiago Bernabeu. “To win the title for Portugal was what was left to achieve on my resume and it was one of the most important moments.”

“But to win Champions League as well with Real Madrid was huge,” he said, surrounded by the 11 trophies the team has won in Europe’s elite club competition.

“This is a dream come true and it is the fourth time. I feel very proud. This win is for my teammates in both the club and the national team. It is incredible to earn this trophy again,” Ronaldo said.

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Messi, Ronaldo, Bale, Griezmann are Henry’s top four for Ballon d’Or

Presented by the magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or has been awarded every year since 1956.

Messi, whose Barça squad won La Liga and the Copa del Rey came second in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, followed by Antoine Griezmann of Champions League finalist Atletico Madrid.

IANS

Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry on Tuesday billed Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antoinne Griezmann and Gareth Bale as top contenders to win the Ballon d’Or this year.

“One of Bale, Leo, Ronaldo and Griezmann could win the Ballon d’Or, Henry told reporters here at a promotional event of a leading kit manufacturer.

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France Football, the magazine that founded the prestigious individual honour given to the best player of the year, released a probables list on Monday.

Real Madrid and Portugal star Ronaldo, 31, and FC Barcelona and Argentina magician Messi, 29, both featured in a list of 30 nominees for the 2016 award.

Griezmann finished top scorer in the 2016 Euro helping France reach the final and also helped Spain’s Atletico Madrid reach the summit clash of the Champions League.

Bale carried Wales to an unlikely semi-final in the Euro while also winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.

Messi and Ronaldo have finished first and second in each of the past five years with Messi edging out his great rival three wins to two, including his triumph last year.

“Those guys are just abnormal. I’ve never seen players like them before and I am sure you’ve never seen before. They score what 50 goals 60 goals, 90 goals a season. It is irrelevant asking if defenders before would have stopped them and not fair on defenders of their time. We will never know that.”

Henry, who has played with Messi at FC Barcelona during his stint with the Catalan giants, added he would love to see Messi win it for a record sixth time.

“I have played with Leo so you know how I would feel if he wins. It is difficult to see anyone coming between him and Ronaldo,” Arsenal’s all-time top-scorer said.

On Paul Pogba’s woeful start to his Manchester United career, Henry, who is World Cup winner with France having scored over 50 international goals, said, “Mourinho is still looking for best 11, best system. When I came (to the Premier League), I wasn’t playing well. I have faith in Pogba. Nowadays people want things to happen very fast. He needs time to adapt.”

Henry was instrumental in Arsenal winning the English Premier League unbeaten in the 2003-04 season, which earned the team the title of “Invincibles”.

Asked whether any team can emulate that feat, the lethal striker who is now an assistant coach to Roberto Martinez in the Belgium national team, said, “It is possible to repeat Invincibles’ feat of winning League by remaining unbeaten. But we did it first,” smirked the 39-year old.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane, a former team-mate, is on the right path according to Henry.

“Definitely Zizou is on the right path. Winning the Champions League first up is great,” Henry said.

He said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger changed the philosophy on how football should be played while legendary manager of Manchester United Alex Ferguson, who was often pitted against Wenger, set out what he intended to do.

“Arsene changed philosophy of how football is to be played. And Ferguson did what he set out to, knock Liverpool off their perch.”

Henry, in his first visit to India, said Indian football should look to Iceland, who reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 and Costa Rica as templates of how to improve.

“Iceland and Costa Rica are proof that hard work pays. You need to start early and not at an age when you are becoming professional.”

IANS