Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo won the European Footballer of the Year Award here on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Portuguese star is the first from his country to win the coveted Ballon D'Or award, which is presented by 'France Football' magazine, since Luis Figo in 2000.

His award - which he has widely spoken about having said in the last week that not only is he the best footballer in the world but also the second and third best - comes on the back of exceptional performance for his club side last season.

He scored a remarkable 42 times in 49 matches as United secured a memorable league and European Cup double.

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi came second and Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was third in the vote.