Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or award, which is given each year to the top-performing soccer player in the world, after a stunning year that saw him score an astonishing 69 goals in 59 games.
Ronaldo claimed the award with a total of 1,365 points, ahead of Lionel Messi (1,205) and Franck Ribery (1,127), with the votes cast by 184 coaches, 184 national captains and 173 members of the global media.
“First of all, I have to say a great thanks to all of my team-mates with the club and the national team,” Ronaldo said as he cried during his speech. “Without all of their efforts this would not have been possible. I am very happy, it is very difficult to win this award.
“Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level, I have to thank. My wife, my friends, my son. It is a tremendously emotional moment. All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved.”
The controversy arose due to the breakdown of the voting. According to FIFA, In the voting by the global media, Franck Ribery was the clear winner, taking almost half of the media’s votes (80 of the 173 first place votes).
But the current system is set up so that the votes of national team captains and coaches outweighed the media, and as such Ronaldo wins the Ballon d’Or for the second time.
It has to be a big blow for Ribery who was the catalyst behind’s Bayern’s record breaking season last season.
Who do you think should have won the Ballon d’Or, Ronaldo or Ribery?
