It capped a successful 2016 for Ronaldo, who captain Portugal to its first major international honour at the European Championships in France.

He also scored the winning penalty as Real Madrid defeated city rival Atletico Madrid to win the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons in May.

Ronaldo has now won just one less Ballon d’Or than 2015 winner Messi, whose Barcelona team beat Real Madrid to the Spanish La Liga title by one point.

Messi missed out on his first international title when Argentina lost to Chile in June’s Copa America final — he said that would be his last game for his country, but reversed that decision in August. Ronaldo was unable to attend the awards ceremony in Paris as Real Madrid had traveled to Japan to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, holding six-point lead over Barca in La Liga after Saturday’s win over Deportivo La Coruna.

“For me it’s an unbelievable moment, I’m so proud, so happy,” he said in a pre-recorded interview. “Thank you to everyone who voted for me. Thank you to my teammates … Portugal national team, and this trophy’s for Real Madrid.”

Although the 31-year-old had to leave the field after just 25 minutes of the Euro 2016 final against host nation France due to injury, his three goals and three assists had helped drag Portugal to the latter stages of the tournament.

It only qualified for the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed group teams, drawing with Iceland, Austria and Hungary.

Following the end of its merged agreement with football’s governing body FIFA, the 2016 Ballon d’Or award — now run solely by its founder France Football magazine — was decided by a vote of 173 journalists for the 30 nominated players.

In 2010-15, it also featured votes from national team captains and managers.

FIFA will award its own prize for the world’s top performing player — with Ronaldo, Messi and Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann shortlisted — in a ceremony due to be held on January 9 in Zurich, Switzerland.

Griezmann, who was top scorer at Euro 2016 with six goals for losing finalist France, was third behind Messi in the Ballon d’Or voting.

Messi’s Barca clubmates Luis Suarez and Neymar were fourth and fifth respectively ahead of Real’s Gareth Bale, a semifinalist at Euro 2016 with Wales.

Ronaldo’s success was foreshadowed late Sunday when an image purporting to show a leaked front cover of the latest edition of France Football — declaring him the winner – appeared on social media late Sunday.

Ronaldo first won the coveted prize in 2008, doing so again in 2013 and 2014. He and Messi have been the only winners since Brazil’s Kaka took the honor in 2007.

“On a personal level, I am happy for another record,” said Ronaldo.
Madrid have now won five consecutive games since being thrashed at home 4-0 by Barcelona last month.
“We are used to (the critics), but we are improving bit-by-bit, the team is better and more confident,” added Ronaldo.
“Five victories in a row, we are on a good run and need to continue like this.”
The scoreline also equalled Liverpool’s 8-0 thrashing of Besiktas in November 2007 with current Madrid boss Rafael Benitez then in charge of the English side.
And Benitez said that fact dispelled suggestions he is a defensive minded coach.
“I have said it many times, but people forget these things and today is a further demonstration that this is a team that attacks,” he told beIN Sports.

With top spot in Group A already assured, Benitez took the chance to rest some of his stars including Gareth Bale, but Madrid were still in a different league to a Malmo side that ended their domestic season over five weeks ago.
Benzema will learn on Thursday if he is to be suspended from the French national team due to his alleged involvement in a blackmail scandal involving a sex tape of international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
However, he remains in fine form for Madrid as he scored his first hat-trick since another 8-0 Real win over Levante in December 2010 to take his tally to five in his last two games.

(AFP) Yet another Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick propelled Portugal to a crucial 3-2 win in Armenia in Euro 2016 qualifying on Saturday while Poland’s Robert Lewandowski hit one of the quickest triples in the competition’s history.

Andre Schuerrle also bagged a hat-trick in Germany’s 7-0 thrashing of Gibraltar but former European champions Greece’s embarrassing campaign continued as they were beaten 2-1 in the Faroe Islands.
Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo scored his third hat-trick in his last three games for club and country as Portugal held on with 10 men for the final half-hour in Yerevan to claim a crucial win in Group I.
Brazilian-born Marcos Pizzelli gave Armenia the lead but Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot before adding two more in the space of four second-half minutes.
Fernando Santos’ side then had Tiago Mendes, the Atletico Madrid midfielder, sent off and were left to hang on after Hrayr Mkoyan pulled a goal back for the hosts.
Portugal have now won four games in a row since starting their campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Albania and they top Group I by two points from Denmark, who beat Serbia 2-0 in Copenhagen thanks to a goal in each half from Yussuf Poulsen and Jakob Poulsen.
Poland remain top of Group D ahead of World Cup holders Germany after Lewandowski’s late hat-trick sealed a 4-0 win against Georgia in Warsaw.
Arkadiusz Milik put the Poles in front before captain Lewandowski doubled their lead in the 89th minute.
The Bayern Munich striker added another in the 92nd minute and completed a remarkable treble in the third minute of stoppage time to secure a handsome win.
It is the second-fastest hat-trick in the history of European Championship qualifying, bettered only by Arif Erdem, who scored three in three minutes for Turkey against Northern Ireland in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2000.
Poland are a point clear of Germany, who won 7-0 against minnows Gibraltar in Faro, Southern Portugal, despite Bastian Schweinsteiger having an early penalty saved. Schuerrle set them on their way and six more goals followed in the second half, including two more from the Wolfsburg forward, a brace from Max Kruse and one each for Ilkay Gundogan and Karim Bellarabi.
Scotland remain third, two points better off than the Republic of Ireland, after coming from behind to draw 1-1 in Dublin, Shaun Maloney’s shot deflecting in off home skipper John O’Shea to cancel out Jon Walters’ opener for Ireland.
The prospect of seeing all four British sides qualify together for a major tournament for the first time since the 1958 World Cup remains a very real one, with Northern Ireland still second in Group F after a 0-0 draw at home to leaders Romania at Windsor Park.
Michael O’Neill’s side are a point behind the Romanians and two better off than third-placed Hungary, who boosted their own chances by winning 1-0 in Finland thanks to a late goal by Zoltan Stieber of Hamburg.
However, Greece’s disastrous campaign continued as they were beaten 2-1 by traditional minnows the Faroe Islands in Torshavn.
A goal in each half from Hallur Hansson and Brandur Olsen secured a famous win for the hosts, with Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Borussia Dortmund getting one back in vain for Greece.
It is the second time the Euro 2004 winners have lost to the Faroes in this campaign — coach Claudio Ranieri was sacked after a 1-0 loss at home in November.
There has been no improvement yet under his Uruguayan successor Sergio Markarian, and Greece are rock bottom of the group with just two points from six games.