Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or as David Luiz sneaks into world XI

No surprise at the winner of the award, but disappointment for Neuer and incredulity over Luiz

Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d’Or
(Image credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty)

Cristiano Ronaldo won his third Ballon d'Or on Monday at a ceremony in Zurich, beating off competition from Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

The Real Madrid ace was voted the world's best player in 2014 in a poll of football writers, international coaches and captains. The 29-year-old Portuguese forward received 37.66 per cent of the votes, with Messi just edging out Neuer for second place, polling 15.76 per cent compared to 15.72 per cent for the German World Cup winner.

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