25.08.2017 » Cristiano Ronaldo wins the best player in Europe award

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Even though it may have been a mere formality for many, it's always a very special occasion with great expectation all around it. Cristiano Ronaldo took home the UEFA Player of the Year award after collecting more votes than both Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon together.

Honestly, it was a foregone conclusion. As Cristiano Ronaldo jetted off to Monaco for the UEFA Champions Draw and award show, we already knew what was going to happen. After a Champions League campaign last year that was littered with successes for Ronaldo, Real Madrid and the Portuguese National Team, the 32-year old superstar was the odds on favorite to win not only the best forward award, but the award for the best overall player. And of course, he didn't disappoint...

Cristiano Ronaldo - All 12 Goals in the Champions League in 2016-17:

In his speech, he thanked the coaches, the players, and the fans as he usually does but we should also thank him for all he's given us. Last season was so unique, at times it looked like Father Time had truly caught up with Ronaldo and at other times he looked more unstoppable than ever.

In the first leg against Napoli, he was orgasmic. While he didn't score, he was brilliant all over the pitch and it was the first sign of things to come, as he prepared to take Europe by storm over the next few months.

That Napoli performance came off the back of the news that he had reportedly dropped a few kilos. And it showed in his performance. Ronaldo was considerably lighter and his speed and footwork improved. It seems that this, coupled with the rest afforded to him by Zidane, was the secret formula to his domination last year.

Then the goals came rushing in. A double against Bayern Munich after we went down 1-0. The first a fantastic one time volley in the box off a cross. And the second a typical Ronaldo goal as he put in another cross, but this time it was his pure hunger for a goal that outlasted his opponents.

The second leg would, of course, be a bit more controversial but that didn't stop Ronaldo, who only thinks of doing his best. With Madrid on their heels, his timely header in the second half would bring the Merengues back. A cataclysmic error at the back almost put Madrid out, but Ronaldo would score again and as Bayern began to unravel, there he was again finishing off some brilliant work by Marcelo.

Onto the semis and a matchup with our rivals Atletico Madrid.

It was expected to be a tight tie, one separated by a goal or two. Instead, Ronaldo put three past the city rivals. The first a header early to put Madrid at ease. The second? A brilliant volley, one of the highlights of his career, so perfectly struck it brought the Bernabéu to its feet and Atletico to their knees. The third came courtesy of his trademark movement in the box as he found himself free to finish off a Lucas Vázquez pass.

The final. With the keeper of the tournament and defense of the tournament looking back at him. Any problem? Not at all.

One chance...bang!

It was the rallying cry of the final for CR7. His early finish from a Dani Carvajal cross made it 1-0 for Madrid early. After Juventus equalized things seemed tenser, but Casemiro's deflected strike paved the way for Ronaldo to put the final nail in the coffin a few minutes later, with a one-time finish to put Madrid up 3-1 just before Asensio killed the game off. Juventus had only allowed 2 goals in the tournament before that game. Ronaldo equalized that in one game and Madrid doubled it.

- 10 goals vs Bayern, Atletico, and Juventus.
- 10 goals against the best three keepers in the tournament.
- 1 Ronaldo
- 1 Champion

What a year!

And knowing Ronaldo, he can't wait to do it again. 

Author: Terrance Ross

Cristiano Ronaldo next game is for La Liga on August 27 of 2017 against Valencia. You can watch Juventus live stream, Real Madrid vs Valencia, Alavés vs Barcelona, Manchester United vs Leicester City, Bournemouth vs Manchester City, and Newcastle vs West Ham, all matches provided from our streaming live game pages.

Real Madrid next game:
Real Madrid vs Valencia kick-off time (27-08-2017):

Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 04:15
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 03:15
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 01:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 22:15
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 21:15
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 17:15
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 16:15
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 13:15

Sources: ronaldo7.net / uefa.com / fourfourtwo.com / nytimes.com

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