The 28-year-old Portuguese forward ended an unprecedented four-year winning streak by Lionel Messi to take home the coveted prize for the second time in his career. Messi had won the past three FIFA Ballon d'Or prizes and taken home the Ballon d'Or in 2009 before it was merged with the FIFA World Player Of The Year prize. With Messi battling injuries in 2013, Ronaldo racked up goals at a blistering pace for Real Madrid and lifted Portugal into the 2014 World Cup with an incredible performance in a playoff against Sweden. In 59 games for club and country in 2013, Ronaldo scored 69 goals.
Messi finished second to Ronaldo, with Franck Ribery finishing in third place among the finalists. All three were on hand in Switzerland when Pele announced the winner. According to FIFA, 184 national team coaches, 184 national team captains and 173 media representatives voted for the 2013 Ballon d’Or. After hearing his name called by the Brazilian soccer icon, Ronaldo took the stage, where he was soon joined by his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. With tears in his eyes and emotion in his voice, Ronaldo could not hide how much the honor meant to him.
Cristiano Ronaldo will present his latest Ballon d'Or to the Real Madrid fans on Saturday ahead of their clash with Granada in La Liga, with the trophy then set to form part of his collection in Madeira.
The Portuguese opened his own museum in his native Funchal in December and the 2008 Ballon d'Or he won as a Manchester United player is the centrepiece, guarded in a bullet-proof glass case which also has security chips to detect any tampering or movement.
An identical case will now be commissioned to house the forward's second Ballon d'Or, Goal has learned, with Ronaldo keen for fans in Madeira to see his latest award.
The CR7 Museum is home to 126 of the player's personal silverware from his time at Sporting, Manchester United and Real Madrid, as well as his formative years.
The Portuguese was also decorated with a national honour this week: receiving a medal and a ribbon making him an official of the Order of Prince Henry in a ceremony in Lisbon.
"This is a great moment of pride," he told gathered media. "It gives me the motivation to keep working, and to work even harder in future."
Source: goal.com
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