WORLD SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cristiano RONALDO 2016
Madrid’s main man…CR7
CR R7 number on ne again
C
ristiano Ronaldo, a European champion for both club and country in 2016, is World Player of the Year. A winner in 2008, 2013 and 2014, he has now matched the achievement of Lionel Messi by claiming the award for a recorrd fourth time. The other winners in the 2016 World Soccer awards were first-tim me victors; Claudio Ranieri as Manager of the Year following his achieveements with Leicester City, who weere Team of the Year. The World Player award is recognition of the most successful year of Ronaldo’s career. Aftter scoringg thee winningg penaalty when Real Madrid beat city rivals Atletico in a shootout to win the Champions League with Real Madrid, he then captained Portugal to their first senior international success, at Euro 2016. Some time after the end of the Euros final, Ronaldo stood bare-chested before his victorious international team-mates in the Stade de France dressing room and delivered a speech. “I am so very happy; happy, happy, happy, happy,” Ronaldo told them. “I could repeat it a hundred times.” It was genuine and emotional, and the fondness surrounding him is clear. It is a speech in which he called that day one of the happiest of his life, the most important moment. “I have already cried three or four times,” he admitted. It was hardly surprising. He had waited a long time for this – and his
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PLAYER OF THE YEAR
country had waited even longer. At the end of an emotional night, Portugal had won a major tournament for the first time. After 25 minutes of the final against France, he had been withdrawn with an injury. Watching from the touchline with an ice-pack strapped to his knee, he paraded up and down, desperately shouting and giving out instructions. Some said he had become the coach, playing as much of a part off the pitch as he had on it. From there he saw an extra-time goal win the Euros. He called it “the one trophy that was missing”, the most important trophy of all those he has won. “Forget the individual trophies, the
Champions League, this one right here is the most important moment in my life.” He had played in a final before, aged 19, but he and his Portugal team-mates were beaten, at home in Euro 2004, by Greece. Twelve years later, he was back. Back in 2004, Ronaldo had just one winners’ medal in his career: the FA Cup, just secured with Manchester United. By the final of Euro 2016, he had won three Ballons d’Or, three Premier Leagues, one La Liga, two Copas del Rey and two Club World Cups. He’d just won the Champions League for the third time. He’d won it all... but not this, and that clearly mattered. Ronaldo’s achievements are well
European champions… Portugal’s first-ever silverware
