Fifa Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo crowned world's best ahead Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer

Cristiano Ronaldo has won his third FIFA Ballon d'Or award and his second in as many years.

The Real Madrid and Portugal forward was awarded FIFA's top individual honour over Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Ronaldo, 29, took home the award for the third time in his career. He and Messi have been the only players to receive the award since then, with the Argentine earning the honour for four straight years from 2009-2012.

The Portuguese earned 37.66 percent of the votes, while Messi edged Neuer, 15.76 to 15.72 percent, for runner-up.

"I would like to thank all of those who voted for me," Ronaldo said as he accepted the award. "It has been an incredible year. I would like to continue the work that I have done so far. I want to try to improve, to become better as each day goes by.

"I never thought that I would bring this trophy back home on three occasions. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time."

Ronaldo becomes the seventh player in history to successfully defend his Ballon d'Or title after Johan Cruyff, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Messi.

The Portugal international was first voted the world's best in 2008, when he pipped Messi and Fernando Torres to the coveted trophy. He then had to settle for second spot in 2009, 2011 and 2012 before winning the award a second time in 2013, this time ahead of Messi and Franck Ribery.
The former Manchester United star has moved level with Cruyff, Platini and Van Basten on three wins, with only Messi ahead of him on four Ballon d'Or trophies.

Messi, meanwhile, made it to the podium for the seventh time in succession after he was crowned all-time top goalscorer of La Liga and the Champions League in 2014, and amassed 15.76% of the final vote.