Cristiano Ronaldo said that he proved doubters wrong by winning “everything” in 2016. Having already won the Ballon d’Or earlier, Ronaldo capped off what has turned out to be a great 2016 for him by winning the best player of the year title at Dubai Globe Soccer Awards.
Ronaldo pipped names like Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Jamie Vardy. “Collectively and individually, it was probably my best year so far,” he said in a recorded message after being named best player of the year.
“We won the Champions League with Real Madrid, we won a major title with Portugal’s national team for the first time, I won the Ballon d’Or, the Club World Cup. I cannot ask for more,” he said, “The people who still doubt me, Real Madrid and the national team, they now have the proof. We won everything. So it has been an amazing year and I am very happy with it. I want to thank my teammates from the national team and Real Madrid.”
The string of major awards that Ronaldo won in 2016 started in May 2016 when Real Madrid triumphed over city rivals Atletico Madrid to lift their 11th Champions League. It was Ronaldo’s third triumph in Europe’s elite competition after winning with Manchester United in 2008 and Real Madrid in 2014.
He later captained the Portuguese team to their first ever major international title by winning the Euro 2016. Ronaldo’s goals were vital in both Real Madrid and Portugal’s campaigns and that led to him winning his fourth Ballon d’Or in December. He later won the FIFA Club World Cup with Real Madrid.