Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon da Or for 2014, with Leo Messi second and Manuel Neuer third. And the Real Madrid attacker has said that he is not done yet.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the third Ballon da Or of his career by beating FC Barcelona attacker Leo Messi and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. In spite of his relatively below the par performances in the World Cup, Ronaldo enjoyed a hugely successful 2014 as he helped Real Madrid to win their 10th Champions League trophy by netting a record 17 goals in one campaign, and earned 37.66 per cent of the votes.
Eternal rival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, has claimed 4 Ballon da Or awards till date and the Real Madrid superstar said after the ceremony that he is eager to catch the Argentinean captain.
“This is an unforgettable moment. I’m not going to stop here. I want to catch Messi (he has won the Ballon d’Or four times),” said Ronaldo after receiving the award.
“I never thought I’d win such an important trophy, it’s such a unique experience. It brings up so many different emotions and I’ll use this award as motivation to continue working hard to win more individual and team honours”.
Cristiano Ronaldo said thanks to his Real Madrid and Portugal team mates for their support. He said: “Thanks to everyone who voted for me, to my teammates, my coach, the president and everyone associated with Real Madrid. This is a dream come true for me. I’d also like to thank everyone who has helped make me a better player, my national team and everyone in Portugal”.
Ronaldo also highlighted his ambition of becoming the best player of all time. a I never thought I would win this trophy on three separate occasions. Of course it is something that is always with me – I want to become one of the greatest players of all time and I hope to get there. I want to thank you all.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid teammate of Ronaldo, Toni Kroos also congratulated the CR7 for winning the award. Kroos said: a Cristiano Ronaldo was the best outfield player. It was between the two of them really. Manuel would have been worthy winner but Ronaldo deserved it too,a Kroos told Sky Sport News.
Kroos also said that his fellow German Manuel Neuer should have finished second behind Ronaldo, not Messi. a Ita s surprising and a little unfair that Neuer finished behind Messi. I thought it would be a close call between Manuel and Ronaldo. Manuel Neuer was the best goalkeeper by a long way.a
