The FIFA Player of the Year Breakdown is here!
The Ballon D'Or and FIFA's official individual player of the year are no longer the same award, so a glitzy FIFA event this evening offered Cristiano Ronaldo the opportunity to pick up a second individual gong for 2016. This one carried the rather plain title of The Best, with Ronaldo picking up the men's award, ahead of Antoine Griezmann in second place, with Leo Messi in third.
FIFA awards here in Zurich have gone a bit Alan Partridge. Eva Longoria has announced the new trophies feature a 'football-inspired ball'
— Charlie Wyett (@CharlieWyett) January 9, 2017
FIFA Player of the Year Breakdown
Each national captain and coach, along with a journalist from that country, had a vote, and in the last few moments, FIFA have released the breakdown of votes.
Martin O'Neill went all Football Hipster, and didn't include any of the top three in his selections, instead picking Gareth Bale - whom he will face in World Cup Qualifying - as the world's best player, followed by Gianluigi Buffon in second place and N'Golo Kanté in third.
Seamus Coleman's picks were more predictable: Ronaldo first, Messi second and Luis Suarez third. The Irish media selection was made by the Mail's Phillip Quinn, who went for Ronaldo top, followed by Messi and Neymar in descending order.
Michael O'Neill picked Ronaldo as his number 1, with Messi second and Griezmann third. His captain Steven Davis went for the same player, although picked Messi ahead of Ronaldo as his player of the year.
Wayne Rooney included compatriot Jamie Vardy in third place in his vote, behind Suarez in second and former teammate Ronaldo in top spot.
Outstandingly, Ronaldo himself picked entirely clubmates: Bale, Modric and Sergio Ramos in descending order.
Leo Messi picked Barca teammates: Suarez top, then Neymar followed by Iniesta.
Elsewhere, the Team of the Year did not feature a single player from the Premier League. In fact, ten of the eleven players played for either Barcelona or Real Madrid last year: Manuel Neuer the outlier.
Read the full FIFA player of the year breakdown here.
