France forward Antoine Griezmann believes the race for the 2016 Ballon d’Or is over and Cristiano Ronaldo will definitely get his hands on it for a fourth time next year.
The 25-year-old Atletico Madrid star was left heartbroken on Sunday, after Ronaldo’s Portugal side stunned the hosts in the capital and won the Euro 2016 final 1-0.
It was Eder’s strike in the second half of extra time which ultimately sealed the victory, rounding off a game which really struggled to live up to the hype.
The result was even sweeter for one man in particular – Ronaldo – after the Portugal captain left the field of play in tears following just 25 minutes with an injury.
However, despite his teammates doing the business without him, the 31-year- old superstar did play a crucial role enroute the showpiece event and got his just rewards when he finally got his hands on silverware with the Selecao.
As a result, Griezmann feels Ronaldo’s triumph with Portugal – as well as lifting the Champions League last month – sets him apart from any other player this year and already feels the race for the Ballon d’Or in January 2017 is a write off.
“For the Ballon D’Or, it is all over,” Griezmann told reporters.
“Ronaldo won the two big competitions this season.”
Ronaldo, who had won two on the bounce before Lionel Messi got his hands on a record fifth Ballon d’Or in January, scored three goals during the Euros.
The former Manchester United star was Portugal’s joint-top goalscorer, and managed 54 goals across all competitions this season for club and country.
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