Ronaldo crowned World Footballer of the Year beating rival Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo has been hailed World Footballer of the Year. This is the third time, and second in a row, that he received such recognition.

15:56 13 January 2015

Cristiano Ronaldo is the World Footballer of the Year for the third time. The results are far from surprising as, more recently, it’s forever been a two horse race. Ronaldo beat out Lionel Messi, the only other man to scoop the award in the last seven years.

"I want to become one of the greatest players of all time," Ronaldo, whose personal wealth is estimated at more than £120m, said through a translator in his acceptance speech in Zurich.

"Of course, this requires a lot of effort and I hope to get there."

Football’s biggest individual award has become something of a head to head between the Portuguese and the Argentinian – who represent, respectively, Real Madrid and Barcelona, the world’s two richest clubs.

French legend Thierry Henry presented the trophy to the footballer, with whom he shares a memory of a less-than-stellar first season in English football.

Ronaldo won the Footballer of the Year award as a Manchester United player in 2008. After losing the honour to Messi  up to 2012, he showed determination to reclaim it.