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KABUL (SW): Portuguese star footballer Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's best male player at the 2017 Best Fifa Football Awards in London.
The Real Madrid and Portugal forward beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Paris St-Germain's Neymar to the honour. Ronaldo, 32, helped Real to a Champions League-La Liga double in 2016-17.
Lieke Martens of Barcelona and the Netherlands won best female player, Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane was named best men's coach and Netherlands' Sarina Wiegman the best female coach. Arsenal's Olivier Giroud received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2017 for his 'scorpion kick' against Crystal Palace in January.
This is the second edition of the Best Fifa Football Awards, which are different to the Ballon d'Or. A version of the Ballon d'Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956, but world football's governing body has ended its association with that honour.
Instead, it introduced the Best Fifa Football Awards, with Ronaldo the first recipient of its main prize in January, the BBC reported. It has been another hugely impressive year for Ronaldo, who won the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards gong on the back of leading Portugal to victory at Euro 2016, itadded.
This year he scored two goals in Real's 4-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final and also found the net 25 times in 29 appearances as his club won La Liga for the first time in five years.
"We are in England for the first time, and I win it for the second consecutive time. This is a great moment for me," Ronaldo told the ceremony audience at the London Palladium.
ENDS
