CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS 2013 FIFA BALLON D' OR

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or at an awards ceremony in Zurich, ending Lionel Messi's four-year reign as holder of the crown.

Real Madrid forward Ronaldo clinched the prize for the world's best player for the second time in his career after finishing ahead of Barcelona playmaker Messi and Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery in the voting.
Ronaldo had finished runner-up three times in the past four years to Messi since winning both the Ballon D'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008, before the two trophies became one.
In tears as he received the award, he said: "First of all I have to say a great thanks to all of my team-mates with the club and the national team. Without all of their efforts this would not have been possible. I am very happy, it is very difficult to win this award.
"Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level I have to thank. My wife, my friends, my son. It is a tremendously emotional moment. All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved."
Portugal captain Ronaldo has been in phenomenal goalscoring form and in 2013 he netted 62 goals in 52 games for club and country.
That was not enough to help Madrid pick up any silverware or lead Portugal to an automatic qualifying berth to this summer's World Cup finals, but he did produce a number of memorable individual performances.
 In being crowned the world's best player in Zurich tonight, Ronaldo - a previous winner in 2008 and runner-up in 2009, 2011 and 2012, each time to Messi - becomes only the 10th multiple winner of the game's most prestigious individual award of that of its precursor, the European Footballer of the Year.
 

Fifa award winners

2013 Ballon d'Or: 1 Cristiano Ronaldo; 2 Lionel Messi; 3 Franck Ribery.
Women's world player of the year: 1 Nadine Angerer; 2 Abby Wambach; 3 Marta.
World coach of the year (men's football): 1 Jupp Heynckes; 2 Jurgen Klopp; 3 Sir Alex Ferguson.
World coach of the year (women's football): 1 Silvia Neid; 2 Ralf Kellermann; 3 Pia Sundhage.
Puskas Award: 1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic; 2 Nemanja Matic; 3 Neymar.
FIFPro World XI: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich and Germany); Dani Alves (Barcelona and Brazil), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich and Germany), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain), Thiago Silva (Paris St Germain and Brazil); Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich and France), Xavi (Barcelona and Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St Germain and Sweden), Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina).
Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur: Pele.
Fair Play Award: Afghanistan Football Federation.
Presidential Award: Jacques Rogge.