Cristiano Ronaldo has just won the FIFA Player of The Year award for the third time with 37.66 percent of the votes.

Lionel Messi bagged the second place with 15.76 percent of votes and Manuel Neuer earned the third spot with 15.72 percent of votes. Ronaldo thanked his mother, family, coach, co-players and the president of Real Madrid as he accepted the award in Zurich on Monday.

"It's been an unforgettable year. To win this trophy, a trophy of this kind, is something unique and all I can say is I want to continue working as I have so far, trying to go on to more titles - individual and as a team - for my mother, my father who is up there looking at there any my son," Ronaldo said.

The football star said that he did not expect that he would win the trophy for the third time. Ronaldo added that he wants to be "one of the greatest players of all time" but he understood that it would take a lot of hard work to achieve that goal.

In 2014, Ronaldo scored 61 goals for Real Madrid and Portugal while he achieved 17 points in the Champions League. The record he set helped Madrid to gain the La Decima title or the 10th European Cup. The star player scored two times against Bayern Munich in the semifinals and he performed the crowning goal for the game against Atletico Madrid.

Ronaldo has a booming football career but his love life seems to be in the opposite. Rumors surfaced that the player's girlfriend model Irina Shayk broke up with him. Shayk was noticeably absent in the awards ceremony.

Ronaldo also failed to mention his girlfriend as he accepted the FIFA award. The break up rumors started when Shayk reportedly had a misunderstanding with Ronaldo's mother last Christmas. As of this time, there is no official statement from the 4-year couple regarding the rumored split.

Amidst the controversies about his love life, Ronaldo is busy with his football career as he joins his teammates from Real Madrid in a game against against Cordoba on Jan. 24.