Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or, an award that goes to the player with the best performance that year, for the second time in a row.
It’s the third time total that the Portuguese player has won the award. “I would like to continue the work that I have done so far. I want to try to improve, to become better as each day goes by. I never thought that I would bring this trophy back home on three occasions. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time,” Ronaldo said in his acceptance speech.
This year, Ronaldo’s team Real Madrid won the Club World Cup, and Ronaldo was given a rather, ahem, attention-grabbing statue in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira Island.
Ronaldo accepting the award in 2014:
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com