Ronaldo named the best player for fifth time

LONDON» Cristiano Ronaldo has caught up with Lionel Messi to become a fivetime winner of FIFA’s best player award.

The Real Madrid forward was crowned player of the year Monday at the “FIFA Best” ceremony at the London Palladium theater attended by runner-up Messi and third-place finisher Neymar.

A second successive honor for Ronaldo was expected after a season in which the Portuguese star eclipsed his award counterparts in the trophy stakes.

In addition to his Spanish league and Spanish Super Cup success, Ronaldo scored twice in the Champions League final against Juventus to win European soccer’s elite competition for the third time in four seasons.

Ronaldo’s coach at Madrid, Zinedine Zidane, was crowned coach of the year.

FIFA shifted its awards ceremony from its usual January slot to October so players are judged across a season — based on the typical European schedule — rather than a calendar year.

The women’s award honored the Netherlands’ success at the European Championship in August. Lieke Martens, who scored in the final win over Denmark, won the player’s award and Sarina Wiegman collected the coaching accolade.

The Puskas Award for best goal went to Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud for a scorpion-style kick. The strike came on New Year’s Day in Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace.