As 2017 draws to a close, we reflect on the best from a fascinating year in world football highlighted by brilliant team displays, individual performances, and inspiring tales.
The Cristiano Ronaldo Award for The Year’s Best Footballer: Cristiano Ronaldo
What do you give the man who has everything? Well, besides a comical bust, a joint-record fifth Ballon d’Or will do, and that’s exactly what Cristiano Ronaldo nabbed the first week of December.
Related: Ronaldo moves level with Messi by capturing 5th Ballon d’Or
Winning La Liga and both the Champions League and Club World Cup for the second time on the bounce will do that, and while the stately attacker has hit a goal-scoring wall head-on this season for Real Madrid, captaining Portugal whilst leading Los Blancos to a stunning trophy haul was enough to edge out Lionel Messi for football’s top international accolade.
The Gary Medel Award for Inexplicably Overcoming Small Stature to Find Footballing Success: Iceland
A hair taller than a garden gnome, undersized Gary Medel‘s efforts at centre-half for Inter and later with Besiktas used to defy convention, and at the same time remind onlookers that …read more