Ballon d'Or 2017 - as it happened: Cristiano Ronaldo beats rival Lionel Messi to prestigious accolade in 62nd edition
Live updates from the ceremony in Paris
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Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his fifth Ballon d’Or at the 62nd edition, drawing him level with long-term rival Lionel Messi.
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When will the 2017 Ballon d’Or be announced?
The winner of the prestigious award will be announced on Thursday 7 December at 6.45pm.
Can I watch the ceremony?
Unfortunately not. But you can follow live updates from the blog above.
What is the Ballon d’Or?
The Ballon d’Or is an annual award presented by the magazine France Football to the best player of the year, as voted by sports journalists. The award has been running since 1956 making it one of the most prestigious individual accolades out there. Initially for European players, the honour went global in 2007.
Between 2010 and 2015 it was merged with Fifa’s own World Player of the Year award. That agreement ended in 2016, however, with the governing body reintroducing its own accolade once again – ‘The Best’ Fifa Men’s Player.
Who is the favourite?
Ronaldo is once again the favourite to claim the award, having notably helped lead Real Madrid to a historic Champions League title earlier this year. Messi follows in second with the usual suspects also among the mix.
The full shortlist:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Karim Benzema, Leonardo Bonucci, Gianluigi Buffon, Edinson Cavani, Philippe Coutinho, Kevin De Bruyne, David de Gea, Paulo Dybala, Edin Dzeko, Radamel Falcao, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Mats Hummels, Isco, Harry Kane, N'Golo Kante, Toni Kroos, Robert Lewandowski, Sadio Mane, Marcelo, Kylian Mbappe, Dries Mertens, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Neymar, Jan Oblak, Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez.
We're just minutes away from finding out the winner of the 2017 Ballon d'Or. Well, we already pretty much know it's going to be Cristiano Ronaldo but it's all good fun anyway.
When Ronaldo wins he will draw level with Lionel Messi on five Ballon d'Ors and extend the pair's duopoly of the award to a staggering 10 years.
Kaka was the last player other than Ronaldo or Messi to win the prestigious individual gong all the way back in 2007.
Confirmed - Cristiano Ronaldo wins 2017 Ballon d'Or
What an achievement. Cristiano Ronaldo draws level with Lionel Messi on a scarcely believeable FIVE Ballon d'Ors.
Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi and Neymar to win the 2017 Ballon d'Or
Video - Ronaldo clutches the Golden Ball for a record-equalling fifth time
What a player.
He's not had the most memorable start to the league season in Spain but he was influential in Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League double last term, scoring 42 goals in all competitions, including two in May's Champions League final against Juventus in Cardiff.
He wrote himself into the record books again earlier this week by becoming the first player ever to score in all six Champions League group games.
Ronaldo reacts to winning 2017 Ballon d'Or
"I feel very happy, it’s a fantastic moment in my career, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.
"This year has been great, we won the Champions League and La Liga and, on a personal level, I was a top scorer in the Champions League.
"Trophies help win these awards and we have to thank my colleagues from Madrid and Portugal, it was very important for me."
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