Cristiano Ronaldo and Lieke Martens have won the top prizes at Monday’s Best FIFA Football Awards in London.
Ronaldo and Martens were named winners of the Best FIFA Men’s and Women’s Player Awards respectively at the London Palladium Theatre.
Both players’ coaches were also honored with Real Madrid’s Zinédine Zidane and The Netherlands’ Sarina Wiegman claiming the Men’s and Women’s Coach Awards respectively.
Portugal and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo was the recipient of the inaugural Best FIFA Men’s Player Award and was rewarded for yet another brilliant year, winning 43.16 percent of the vote.
In addition to winning the Spanish league and the FIFA Club World Cup last term, he added another UEFA Champions League crown to his collection.
Ronaldo saw off arch-enemy Lionel Messi and Neymar to win the prize.
Argentina’s Messi scored 37 league goals for Barcelona last season, while Neymar bolstered his standing by helping the Brazilian national team to become the first side to join the hosts at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Paris Saint-Germain broke the world record transfer fee when they signed Neymar from Barcelona for $259 million earlier this summer.
The Netherlands’ Martens excelled as her national team triumphed at UEFA Women’s Euro 2017.
Voted Player of the Tournament, which was held on Dutch soil, she scored three and added two assists and received 21.72 per cent of total votes to be crowned winner.
Also in the running was Venezuela’s Deyna Castellanos.
She was instrumental in leading her country to fourth place at the 2016 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Carli Lloyd of the United States was crowned the inaugural Best FIFA Women’s Player but could not win a second despite yet another successful year.
In her four-month loan spell with Manchester City earlier in 2017, Lloyd helped the side to the 2016-17 UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals and lifted the FA Cup for the first time.
Also decided tonight was the Puskas award for the best goal of the year.
French striker Olivier Giroud was a worthy recipient after he scored a sensational scorpion kick to finish off a swift counter attack for Arsenal.
Also named was the Men’s Team of the Season.
Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon was the goalkeeper with the defense made up of Brazilians Dani Alves and Marcelo, Spain’s Sergio Ramos and Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci.
Spaniard Andrés Iniesta was joined in midfield by Germany’s Toni Kroos and Croatian Luka Modrić.
Ronaldo was unsurprisingly joined in attack by Messi and Neymar.
There was also a Fan Award with the supporters of Celtic in Scotland named winners.
The Celtic fans received 55.92 percent of votes and were commended for the stunning 360-degree card displayed around Celtic Park during the final match of the Scottish League season, paying homage to the 50th anniversary of the club’s European Cup title of 1967.
The ceremony was hosted by British Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild-winning actor Idris Elba and Layla Anna-Lee, the London-born Brazilian television presenter who narrated the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.
By Max Winters
Republished with permission from insidethegames.biz.