5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo will beat Lionel Messi to BEST FIFA Award

#3 Adapting to new role and becoming a team leader

Cristiano Ronaldo played the team-man to perfection

The one accusation that had been leveled at Cristiano Ronaldo as he became the potent goal-scorer that he is today at Madrid was that he was becoming more, and more, selfish by the game.

Which in turn was costing the team precious points, and tying the hands of managers who had to struggle to get the most of what was always a hugely talented squad.

Last season, though, Cristiano Ronaldo emerged a real leader, a proper team player who hugged the touchline when asked to, tracked back doggedly (most noticeably in the first leg of Madrid's entertaining quarter with Bayern), played off Karim Benzema's, Isco's, Toni Kroos', Luka Modric's and Marco Asensio's undoubted ability allowing them to flourish on their own individual levels, listened to Zidane when the great Frenchman told him that rest was the need for the hour - his dedication to the team's cause, something that often used to get blinded due to his hunger for personal glory (and that whole "let's see who scores more goals this season" competition with Leo Messi).. and that is certainly worthy of great admiration.