Ronaldo edges Messi to capture 4th Ballon d'Or of his career

For the fourth time in his glittering career, Cristiano Ronaldo has been recognized as the best footballer on the planet.

After a year in which he led Real Madrid to a Champions League title and captained Portugal to Euro 2016 glory, the free-scoring frontman captured yet another Ballon d'Or on Monday, beating out perennial rival Lionel Messi for the honour.

(Courtesy: France Football)

"It is a huge honour to win the Ballon d'Or. I am very happy. This is a dream come true and it is the fourth time," the bronzed megastar said. "I feel very proud. This win is for my teammates in both the club and the national team. It is incredible to earn this trophy again."

Along with the two high-profile pieces of silverware he kissed, Ronaldo enjoyed a typically fantastic statistical year, finding the back of the net 51 times in 54 matches for both club and country.

Monday's announcement, which was widely expected given the 31-year-old's trophy-laden campaign, means the photogenic Portuguese and his Argentine peer have combined to win the last nine Ballon d'Ors on offer.

Ronaldo, 31, had previously won the award in 2008, 2013, and 2014 - the latter pair coming when the award was presented as a joint effort by France Football and FIFA.

This time around, however, the prestigious honour was presented exclusively by France Football after the magazine ended its six-year association with FIFA earlier in the year; the governing body will hand out its own, new player of the year award during a ceremony on Jan. 9.

Drafting a new format for the 2016 Ballon d'Or, France Football crafted an initial 30-man shortlist, which 173 sports journalists then voted on to determine a victor - a first-place vote garnered five points, second place saw a player collect three, and a third-place distinction earned one point.

The list was released progressively Monday afternoon, with a countdown starting at No. 17 - where three men were tied - eventually making its way to No. 1, where Ronaldo's name was waiting to be revealed.

Here's how the final ranking broke down among those who received at least one vote:

• 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)
• 2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
• 3. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid and France)
• 4. Luis Suarez (Barcelona and Uruguay)
• 5. Neymar (Barcelona and Brazil)
• 6. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid and Wales)
• 7. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester and Algeria)
• 8. Jamie Vardy (Leicester and England)
• T-9. Pepe (Real Madrid and Portugal)
• T-9. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus and Italy)
• 11. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
• 12. Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon and Portugal)
• 13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United and Sweden)
• T-14. Arturo Vidal (Bayern Munich and Chile)
• T-14. Paul Pogba (Manchester United and France)
• 16. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich and Poland)
• T-17. Dimitri Payet (West Ham and France)
• T-17. Luka Modric (Real Madrid and Croatia)
• T-17. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid and Germany)