5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the 2020 FIFA Men's Best Player Award
The Men's Best Player Award is an annual accolade presented by FIFA based on performance as well as general conduct on and off the field. Selected media representatives, national team coaches, national team captains and the general public are eligible to vote for the players who are nominated.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a two-time winner of the award, which was conceptualised in its present being in 2016. Ronaldo won the first two editions of the award, beating his arch-rival Lionel Messi on both occasions, before being usurped by Luka Modric in 2018. Messi won the 2019 edition of the award.
5 reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the 2020 FIFA Men's Best Player Award
There are a plethora of reasons as to why Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the latest edition of the FIFA Men's Best Player Award.
Despite moving to Italian giants Juventus at the age of 33, the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner has been an epitome of consistency and brilliance in both club and international football.
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of ten players who have been nominated for the latest edition of the prestigious award.
On that note, let us have a look at five reasons why the 35-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo deserves to win the 2020 FIFA Men's Best Player Award.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo's blistering club form
In one of his best starts to a year in recent memory, Cristiano Ronaldo opened his account for the year by netting his second Serie A hat-trick, doing so against Cagliari.
Ronaldo scored in a record-equalling 11 consecutive Serie A games before he failed to score against Inter Milan. The Juventus striker then netted in eight of his next ten games in the competition to close the season with 31 goals, falling short of Capocannoniere winner Ciro Immobile.
In the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace against Olympique Lyon but couldn't avert another Round of 16 exit for his club.
The 35-year-old has started the 2020-21 season on fire, having already scored eight times in just five games while also netting in the Champions League against Ferencvaros. That made Ronaldo the first player other than Messi to score 70 'home' goals in the competition.
Overall, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 34 times in 33 games in all competitions for Juventus this year.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo became the first European player to score 100 international goals
As if his club football exploits in the year were not enough, Cristiano Ronaldo has also dazzled in Portugal colours.
By scoring against Sweden in a Nations League game in Solna, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first European player and only the second player ever to tally a staggering 100 international goals.
However, there was disappointment in store for Cristiano Ronaldo and co later in the year as a defeat to France, their first at home in a competitive fixture in many years, put paid to their hopes of defending their Nations League title next summer.
Nevertheless, Cristiano Ronaldo still has had a year to remember for his national team. At the age of 35, he remains his team's best player and the most likely source of goals.