Test Blog: Ballon d'or

And the award goes to C. RONALDO

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>C Ronaldo wins the award for the 3rd time</i></div><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLXw6gfjiflhzM4DD4yTETLFZhaHkl6v9DLToSRC3TfuJrfnhO:sillyseason.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_top/public/article_images/cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-ballon-dor.jpg?itok%3D37Ll7tYH" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLXw6gfjiflhzM4DD4yTETLFZhaHkl6v9DLToSRC3TfuJrfnhO:sillyseason.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_top/public/article_images/cristiano-ronaldo-and-the-ballon-dor.jpg%3Fitok%3D37Ll7tYH" width="320" /></a></div><br />Real Madrid<span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;"> </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">attacker </span>Cristiano Ronaldo<span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;"> has won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or ahead of </span>Bayern Munich <span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">goalkeeper </span>Manuel Neuer<span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;"> and </span>Barcelona<span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;"> forward </span>Lionel Messi<span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">, scooping up the prestigious individual award for the third time in his career.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">Ronaldo enjoyed a hugely successful 2014, in which he guided Madrid to Champions League glory by netting a record 17 goals in one campaign.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">Additionally, the prolific attacker played an integral part in the Santiago Bernabeu side's Copa del Rey win by netting three goals in six appearances, even if he missed the final against Barcelona due to injury.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">On an individual level, the 29-year-old won the Liga top-scorer award by scoring 31 goals in 30 appearances, which also saw him crowned joint-winner of the European Golden Shoe together with Luis Suarez.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">Ronaldo becomes the seventh player in history to successfully defend his Ballon d'Or title after Johan Cruyff, Kevin Keegan, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten and Messi.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">The Portugal international was first voted the world's best in 2008, when he pipped Messi and Fernando Torres to the coveted trophy. He then had to settle for second spot in 2009, 2011 and 2012 before winning the award a second time in 2013, this time ahead of Messi and Franck Ribery.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">The former Manchester United star has moved level with Cruyff, Platini and Van Basten on three wins, with only Messi ahead of him on four Ballon d'Or trophies.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;">Neuer missed out on the chance to become the first goalkeeper to win the award since Lev Yashin in 1963 as he had to settle for second spot after guiding Germany to World Cup glory and winning the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal with Bayern.</span><br /><br style="background-color: white; color: #081f2c; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.7360000610352px;" /><br /><br /><br />

And the award goes to C. RONALDO

C Ronaldo wins the award for the 3rd time Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or ahead of Bayer...