Real Madrid forward Ronaldo fought off competition from four-time winner Lionel Messi of Argentina and France's Franck Ribéry to take the Ballon d'Or award for a second time after he first claimed the prize in 2008, when it was the FIFA World Player of the Year.

He took the title with a total of 1,365 points out of the votes cast by 184 coaches, 184 national captains and 173 members of the global media after a sensational 2013 that saw him scoring 66 goals in 56 games, including his hat trick for Portugal against Sweden that booked his nation's place at the Brazil 2014 World Cup.

"First of all, I have to say a great thanks to all of my teammates with the club and the national team," Ronaldo said at the ceremony at the Kongresshaus in Zurich.

"Without all of their efforts this would not have been possible.

"I am very happy, it is very difficult to win this award.

"Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level, I have to thank.

"My wife, my friends, my son.

"It is a tremendously emotional moment.

"All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved."

Nadine Angerer has been named as the world's best women's footballer of 2013
©AFP/Getty Images


Angerer was equally delighted with her top award, which she takes after she helped her country secure the 2013 European Championship with the two saves she made during the penalty shootout against Norway.

"I have to say that I'm a little surprised, but very thankful," she said.

"You never get a success like this on your own.

"I have to thank my teammates and my goalkeeping coach who raised me to a level that I never thought I'd get to."

Brazil's Pelé, was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur for his lifetime achievements, while Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimović took the Puskás Award for the "most beautiful goal" of the year for the acrobatic long-range bicycle kick which saw him score for his nation in a friendly match against England in November 2012.

Jacques Rogge received the FIFA Presidential Award from Sepp Blatter
©Bongarts/Getty Images


In recognition of their achievements in 2013 Germany's Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm, Brazilians Dani Alves and Thiago Silva, Spain's Xavi, Sergio Ramos and Andrés Iniesta, Ribéry, Messi, Ibrahimović and Ronaldo were all named to the FIFA World Team of the Year, while former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Jupp Heynckes and German women's coach Silvia Neid took the men's and women's FIFA World Coach of the Year awards.

Meanwhile, former International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge received the Presidential Award from FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, who is himself an IOC member, and the Afghanistan Football Federation won the Fair Play Award for "upholding the spirit of courage and solidarity against all odds through the after-effects of war".

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