BY MONICA IHEAKAM
Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo was on Monday evening crowned the world’s best player at the inaugural The Best FIFA Football Awards.
Ronaldo 31, fended off competitions from Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann to win the prize at a ceremony in Zurich.
As expected, Ronaldo was also named in the FIFPro World XI, where he was joined by several of his club team-mates in Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
The Portuguese international had enjoyed a sensational 2016, which saw him secure a second Champions League crown with Real Madrid, the historic Euro 2016 triumph with Portugal, as well as the Ballon d’Or.
Leicester’s Claudio Ranieri dusted Fernado Santos and Zinedine Zidane to win the world’s top manager in 2016, at The Best FIFA Awards gala.
Ranieri’s triumph comes after one of the most remarkable stories in English football history, having led relegation contenders Leicester to the Premier League title.
Former Germany women national team coach, Silvia Neid won the female coach award, Carli Lloyd of the United States of America was crowned the world’s best female player for the second time While Penang’s Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best gaol of 2016.