Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2016 Ballon d’Or, crowning him the world’s best player for the fourth time.

The 31-year-old, won the Champions League with his club and the European Championship with his country in the best summer of his career and he takes the prestigious prize away from Lionel Messi, his great rival, whose Ballon d’Or win last year was his fifth in total.

France Football only announced the results up until 6th place before announcing the winner, with spots 5-2 coming around 9.30pm (UK time).

Winning his fourth award takes Ronaldo clear of Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, who all won the prize three times, and clear in second in the all-time list. Ronaldo’s first triumph came in 2008 during his time as a Manchester United player and he also won in 2013 and 2014 when the France Football award merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year Award to become the FIFA Ballon d’Or.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins 2016 Ballon d'Or
Tom Adams

6 minutes ago

Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2016 Ballon d’Or, crowning him the world’s best player for the fourth time.

The 31-year-old, won the Champions League with his club and the European Championship with his country in the best summer of his career and he takes the prestigious prize away from Lionel Messi, his great rival, whose Ballon d’Or win last year was his fifth in total.

France Football only announced the results up until 6th place before announcing the winner, with spots 5-2 coming around 9.30pm (UK time).

[RELATED: Ballon d'Or 2016 - Nine years of dominance: How the Messi-Ronaldo balance of power has shifted]

[RELATED: QUIZ: Which Ballon d’Or winner are you?]

[Ballon d'Or 2016: Only one winner in The Year of Cristiano Ronaldo]

Winning his fourth award takes Ronaldo clear of Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, who all won the prize three times, and clear in second in the all-time list. Ronaldo’s first triumph came in 2008 during his time as a Manchester United player and he also won in 2013 and 2014 when the France Football award merged with FIFA’s World Player of the Year Award to become the FIFA Ballon d’Or.

This year France Football took back sole control of the prize, first awarded to England and Blackpool’s Stanley Matthews in 1956, meaning votes were the responsibility of a select number of journalists across Europe, rather than international captains and coaches.

Ronaldo, who signed a new five-year contract in November, was recognised for his dominance on the European stage.

Some of the positions were tied in the results, due to players receiving the same number of votes...