Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been declared UEFA’s Best Player in Europe for 2016. He won the award ahead of teammate, Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid forward, Antoine Griezmann.  This is the second time that the Portuguese captain has won the award, tying him with the Argentine Messi as the only two players to have had the honour of winning the award twice.

• Ronaldo had a phenomenal season with the reigning Champions League holders, winning the coveted European title for the third time in his career, and the second time with Real, after the famed La Decima triumph in 2014.
• He also had what was probably the best season of his career, individually, as he scored 51 goals in the La Liga and UEFA Champions League, combined. The forward also proceeded to become Los Blancos’ all-time top goalscorer, breaking the record of Spanish legend Raul Gonzalez, who had scored 323 goals for them. Ronaldo currently has 364 goals for Real.
•  The UEFA Women’s Best Player in Europe award for 2016 goes to Ada Hederberg, who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France as a striker. She beat out fellow nominees Amandine Henry, who plays for Portland Timber and finished runner-up last year, and Dzsenifer Marsozan, Hederberg’s teammate at Lyon, to the award.