Ronaldo tipped for top award
FRONT RUNNER After winning Uefa Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or, Portuguese likely to pip Messi, Griezmann for Fifa Player of the Year
Following his success in Ballon d’Or, the Portugal and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to add another garland — the Best FIFA Men’s Player — on Monday in Zurich.
After Champions League and Euro 2016 success for club and country last year, Ronaldo is the overwhelming favourite for yet another accolade for his bulging trophy cabinet.
Last year, FIFA ended its sixyear collaboration with magazine France Football for the Ballon d’Or award and is now to unveil its own brand new “Best” distinction.
With his Ballon d’Or safely tucked away after his third Champions League title, thanks in major part to his 16 goals in 12 games, as well as Portugal’s Euro 2016 success — the country’s first major achievement in a football tournament — CR7 is seen as a shoe-in for the men’s new FIFA title.
About the only downside for the former Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon star was the fact he was off the pitch when Portugal sealed their win over France, having been stretchered off with injury in the first half in tears.
He watched Eder’s extra-time winner from the bench.
Ronaldo himself acknowledged to sports daily Marca late last year that it was a “fantastic season,” indeed “perhaps my best on an individual and team level.”
His achievements will almost certainly see him once again shut out longtime rival Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s French striker Antoine Griezmann for the FIFA award.
His Euro 2016 final injury aside, the only other blip of sorts for Ronaldo, 31, was the fact he was named in the Football Leaks financial scandal.
He and his entourage have strenuously denied claims that he has illegally stashed some 150 million euros in offshore tax havens and Swiss bank accounts.
But it unlikely that issue will trouble the national coaches and skippers and journalists called upon to seal their FIFA choice.
the favourite having already won the Ballon d’Or and the Uefa best player award. Further to his credit, he won the Champions League and Euro 2016.
was top scorer in the Champions League, he did little in the final besides converting the last penalty of the shootout. Similarly, injury hampered his contribution in the Euro final. After missing out on personal laurels over the years because his teams won few trophies, Ronaldo may finally bag the individual honour for being on the winning side.
the Argentine had a superb year. His eighth La Liga winner’s medal was capped with 20 goals and 16 assists. He also topped the Copa America assists charts and scored the second highest number of goals and became Argentina’s highest goal scorer.
despite personal bests, not winning the Champions League and Copa America diminish his chances of bagging Fifa’s top honour.
best player in La Liga last season as well as in Euro 2016. He guided Atletico Madrid to the Champions League final and France to the Euro final. But having reached those stages, heartbreak was all that he received in return.
the Champions League final after Real Madrid beat them via shootout and Euro 2016’s top scorer could not do much as Portugal won with an extra-time winner. Melanie Behringer (Germany),
Carli Lloyd (US), Marta (Brazil)
Claudio Ranieri, Fernando Santos, Zinedine Zidane Jillian Ellis (US), Silvia Neid (Germany), Pia Sundhage (Sweden)
Marlone (Brazil), Daniuska Rodriguez (Venezuela), Mohd Faiz Subri (Malaysia)
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