World Soccer magazine have voted Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as their Player of the Year for 2013.
The 28-year-old, who is in contention for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or, has been voted by the European football magazine ahead of Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery as the best of the last 12 months.
The annual poll carried out by the publication involves a panel of journalists and pundits based around the game each selecting a top 10, with points awarded for each position.
Ronaldo, who has enjoyed a strong start to the 2013-14 campaign for club and country, pulled in a total of 1075 points in the voting, more than 100 clear of Barcelona’s Messi in second, who was just over 50 ahead of Bayern’s Ribery in third.
Barcelona’s Neymar polled sixth, Gareth Bale finished 10th, whilst Radamel Falcao, Andres Iniesta and Mesut Ozil all made the top 20. Xavi Hernandez was awarded equal 26th.
In the last 16 editions of World Soccer’s vote, the one to have been awarded Player of the Year with the magazine has gone on to win the Ballon d’Or on 14 occasions. Xavi in 2010 and Ronaldinho in 2004 are the exceptions.
World Soccer magazine’s top 10 for 2013
1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal) 1075
2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) 926
3 Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich & France) 870
4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris Saint-Germain & Sweden) 658
5 Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich & Holland) 324
6 Neymar (Santos/Barcelona & Brazil) 286
7 Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich & Germany) 255
8 Robin Van Persie (Manchester United & Holland) 251
9 Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund & Poland) 250
10 Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur/Real Madrid & Wales) 187
