Cristiano Ronaldo has been declared the winner of the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the second straight year at a glittering ceremony in Zurich.
Ronaldo beat shortlisted rivals Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer to the title after a season which saw him lead Real Madrid to the UEFA Champions League crown.
Ronaldo had finished runner-up behind Messi in 2011 and 2012 before pipping the Argentinian in 2013 - and said he hoped there would be more to come.
Ronaldo said: "It has been an unforgettable year and win a trophy of this kind is something unique.
"I want to continue working as I have so far to go on to win more titles as an individual and in a team.
"Of course this is something that is always with me. I want to become one of the greatest players of all time and this requires a lot of effort but I hope to get there."
The now three-time World Player of the Year scored 57 goals for club and country in 2014, adding four more trophies - including Real Madrid's 10th Champions League trophy - to his display cabinet in the process.
Here are some of the key moments from the last 12 months that helped Ronaldo keep his hands on football's top individual prize.
February 11 - Getting straight back to record-breaking business after clinching his second Ballon d'Or a month earlier, Ronaldo surpassed Luis Aragones' achievements in the history of Copa del Rey games between Real and Atletico Madrid by scoring a brace against the Rojiblancos. Aragones had scored five goals for Atleti but his record had remained unchallenged since the 1970s. More intriguingly Ronaldo's first goal in the derby, a penalty in the seventh minute, meant the Portuguese had scored in every possible minute of a 90-minute game.
May 24, 2014 - Ronaldo had been conspicuous by his absence from the scoresheet but it looked like Real had managed to do enough to thwart city rivals Atletico at the end of a dramatic Champions League final in Lisbon. However, he would make his mark in the 121st minute of play, scoring the penalty that made it 4-1 and rubber-stamped 'La Decima'. It was also his 17th goal in that season's tournament, a new record.
October 25 - An opening goal against title rivals Barcelona was Ronaldo's 15th in his last seven league games and broke a Real record set by Hungary great Ferenc Puskas in both the 1959-60 and 1960-61 campaigns. Puskas had scored 13 times through seven consecutive league games.
December 6, 2014 - Ronaldo's 23rd hat-trick in Real colours, this time plundered at the expense of Celta Vigo, was not only a Primera Division record but meant the Portuguese had become the fastest player in La Liga history to score 200 goals.
December 20, 2014 - His Barcelona rival Lionel Messi might have beaten him to the title of all-time Champions League goalscorer, but Ronaldo was hardly complaining when his 72nd Champions League goal - scored in a 4-0 thumping of Ludogorets - boosted him beyond Real stalwart Raul's previous competition record. He is three goals behind Messi, but now only one Ballon d'Or behind the Argentinian.
The list of winners:
Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo
Women's world player of the year: Nadine Kessler
Puskas award: James Rodriguez
World coach of the year for men's football: Joachim Low
World coach of the year for women's football: Ralf Kellermann
FIFA presidential award: Hiroshi Kagawa
FIFA fair play award: FIFA volunteers
World XI: Neuer; Lahm, Ramos, David Luiz, Thiago Silva; Di Maria, Iniesta, Kroos; Messi, Ronaldo, Robben
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