Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo picked up his fourth Ballon d’Or earlier tonight after France Football awarded him the trophy for 2016. It capped off a magnificent calendar year for the Portugal talisman who won Euro 2016 with his nation and also UEFA Champions League while also picking up the UEFA Best Player of the Year award.
Speaking to L’Equipe after receiving the award, Ronaldo described his emotions, saying “Winning the Euros, the Champions League and now the Ballon d'Or is unforgettable. This year was the best of my career, both at an individual and at a team level. For me, it's a great honour to receive my fourth Ballon d'Or. The emotion is the same as in the past. The dream becomes reality.”
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While Ronaldo did achieve success with Real Madrid, the Portuguese legend ranked the Euro 2016 win higher, saying “Winning the first trophy with Portugal was still missing on my CV. It was one of the most important moments of my life. I will obviously not forget about the Champions League win either.”
“The difference is that Madrid are used to winning trophies, Portugal had never won a major trophy. I do not want to disrespect the Champions League, but winning the Euros with Portugal was something special, on another level.”
Ronaldo credits his teammates for the Ballon d’Or
While the aura around the individual remains, Ronaldo was quick to credit his teammates for winning the Ballon d’Or, saying “I must thank all my team-mates. You can imagine how proud I am to receive this magnificent trophy. The team always comes first for me. I would not have won this trophy without Real Madrid and Portugal.
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Ronaldo beat out Lionel Messi by a huge margin, although the Barcelona star has more Ballons d’Or, with six. Ronaldo still has his eyes on catching up to Messi, although the Madrid forward is also enticed by the prospect of Portugal’s success, saying “What is more important, win a fifth one or win again with Portugal? I think both are important to me. I will try to give the best of myself, as every time. But I would like to enjoy this moment today, I am very happy.”
