Cristiano Ronaldo named Best Player in Europe
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Article summary
A UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid and a European champion with Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the 2015/16 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.
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Article body
Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has lifted the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award for a second time.
Ronaldo enjoyed a sensational 2015/16, winning the UEFA Champions League with Madrid before leading his country to UEFA EURO 2016 glory. The 31-year-old beat off competition from club-mate Gareth Bale and Atlético Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann to land the award he first picked up in 2013/14.
Full results
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/POR) 40
Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid/FRA) 8
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/WAL) 7
Ronaldo's 2015/16 records and milestones
- Madrid's all-time leading scorer in the Liga
- Five hundred career goals for club and country
- Madrid's all-time record goalscorer
- Most goals in a single group stage
- Second to Lionel Messi in FIFA Ballon d'Or
- Second top scorer in Liga history
- Decisive penalty in Champions League final
- 2015/16 UEFA Champions League top scorer
- Portugal's all-time most-capped player
- UEFA.com Goal of the Season poll winner
- Most all-time EURO finals appearances
- Scores in fourth EURO final tournament
- Joint-most EURO final tournament goals
- Dramatic UEFA EURO 2016 triumph
Spanish Liga: 36 appearances, 35 goals, 11 assists
UEFA Champions League: 12 appearances, 16 goals, 4 assists
UEFA EURO 2016: 7 appearances, 3 goals, 3 assists
Ronaldo reaction
"It's a great honour. My team-mates are the key – they are the key every year. I work hard myself but without their help this would not be possible. Thanks to my team-mates from Real Madrid and Portugal. [Winning EURO] was different because I've won the Champions League three times now. To win something with Portugal was the highlight of my career."
How the voting works
Journalists from each of UEFA's 55 member associations provided an initial list of their five best-ranked players, with the first receiving five points, the second four, and so on. The ten players with the most points advanced to a second round of voting, which determined Ronaldo, Bale and Griezmann as the final three. In a live poll during the UEFA Champions League group stage draw, the same 55 journalists then selected their favourite from the three-man shortlist via an electronic system.
