CRISTIANO RONALDO: FIFA BALLON D'OR WINNER

It's not easy to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or, but Cristiano Ronaldo is doing it consistently. For the third time in seven years, and second consecutively, the Portuguese was considered the best footballer in the world. The third victory, this relative to 2014, joins him to the four men that, before him, were able to receive the award more than twice. The striker of Real Madrid repeated the same as the French Michel Platini, the Dutch Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten. And getting the record of Lionel Messi is a stated objective for 2015. "I never thought winning three times this 'ball', but I hope not stop here, I hope to take the Messi's record already for the next season", said in the ceremony stage in Zurich, Switzerland.

The World Cup 2014 in Brazil turned out not to define the election of the best player on the planet. The captain, as the selection, passed without influence in Brazil, but had sufficient high moments the rest of the year, the fourth consecutive year where he spent the threshold of 60 goals (specifically, 61 in 60 games). Contrary to what happened a year ago, there aren't few titles to justify the triumph for which he was considered favorite: he won the Champions League, the Clubs World Cup, the European Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. Individually, he was elected best player of UEFA and in the Spanish League, in which he was crowned top scorer and also won the Golden Boot, the third of his career.

The striker from Madeira met 37.66% of all votes on an election in charge of the captains, national coaches and a group of journalists, winning by a margin much much bigger than in the previous edition. Messi (15.76%), author of 58 goals in 66 games and considered the best player of the World, but without any title for Barcelona or Argentina, was second as in 2013. Since 2008, only the Portuguese and Argentine, who was the best four times in a row, were able to raise the world's FIFA Ballon d'Or.

The winning of Bayern Munich in the Championship, the Germany's Cup and especially the world title in Germany, have put Manuel Neuer in the three finalists, but had to settle for 3rd place (15.72%), the best classification of a keeper since the Italian Gianluigi Buffon, also in year's victory in the World Cup ended as "vice".

Looking at the list of previous winners, markedly dominated by advanced or medium-offensive, you could see that the German ran out of the votes because the Soviet Lev Yashin, the legendary "Black Spider", was the only goalkeeper to be voted world's best in 1963. In 2014, Neuer conceded 40 goals in 62 games, and managed to keep clean in more than half of them (32). The holder of the world champion was not the only Bayern player in a prominent place. The next three positions were also occupied by members of the club, Arjen Robben (7.17%), Thomas Müller (5.42%) and Philipp Lahm (2.90%).

But the day belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo, who less than a month of turning 30 further magnified his mark in football. Eusebio was the first Portuguese to win the election in 1965, Figo did the same in 2000, but it is hard to imagine when another portuguese will match the same as Cristiano Ronalod, owner of three of the five Golden Balls snatched by Portugal. "The first time I was invited to this ceremony, I never thought that it would be repeated many times. I was confident because of the year I've had, but Messi and Neuer also deserved, "he said. Like Eusebio, he has eight appearances in the top ten of the year. In addition to the victories in 2008, 2013 and 2014, in the award created by France Football magazine in 1956, he was second in 2007, behind Kaka, and in 2009, 2011 and 2012, surpassed by Messi. In the last eight editions, only in 2010 slipped below the "top-two", ending in 6. 

"It was an unforgettable year for me, in the collective and personal. How you can imagine, win this trophy of this importance is unique. I am very happy, this will give me motivation to continue to work the same way as I have done so far and to try to win more collective and individual titles. As I said many times, I want to get in the football history, "said the player - who this time did not cry - in a speech in the mother tongue, who thanked his family, to Real Madrid, to the national team and to the Portuguese people. Behind are now Alfredo Di Stefano, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Ronaldo, each with two Golden Balls in the curriculum.

At the end of the FIFA Ballon D'Or Gala, Messi said the award was well assigned. "Cristiano deserved the trophy. Had an impressive year, with several titles". With the initial rules, the reward would be outside the scope of the Argentine star. Since the establishment, the Fifa Ball D'Or was meant only to European players. Then it was open to any European club football and only in 2007 ceased to have any limitation. In 2010, the trophy was merged with the FIFA Player of the Year, which had existed since 1991. In addition to Eusebio, Figo and Ronaldo, two Portuguese managed a podium finish: Futre in 1987 and Deco in 2004 were only surpassed by Ruud Gullit and Andriy Shevchenko, respectively.