Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Foot, arch-rival Lionel Messi yet to clinch award

Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice against Parma to take his tally to 44 goals in 44 games across all competitions this calendar year. He was instrumental in Juventus' top-place finish in the Champions League group stage standings after scoring twice against Barcelona. Although he missed out on the FIFA The Best Award to Bayern Munich icon Robert Lewandowski, Ronaldo was handed over the Golden Foot Award, one of the only few accolades which his arch-rival Lionel Messi hasn't won in his decorated career. 

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Cristiano Ronaldo wins Golden Foot Award 

Earlier this month, it was announced that Ronaldo was the latest recipient of the Golden Foot Award, which came into existence in 2003. Guideline state that a player over the minimum age of 28 is eligible to win it, although only once. The Portuguese superstar received the honour on Sunday for his splendid performance over the previous season.

In keeping with the tradition, Ronaldo placed his foot on the cement to leave an imprint on it. And his award comes with no surprise as the 35-year-old has netted 44 times for club and country this calendar year, with Lewandowski being the only player ahead of him, albeit by three goals. 

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Messi awards: Argentine trails after Cristiano Ronaldo Golden Foot Award success 

Interestingly, Ronaldo's arch-rival and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is way behind on the goalscoring list. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner has had a struggling year individually, netting just 26 times across all competitions. Meanwhile, Barcelona have also endured a difficult start to their LaLiga campaign. 

The Golden Foot Award for Ronaldo means that he has now won an award which Messi hasn't won. Specifically, the Juventus attacker trails against Messi by one Ballon d'Or title. Messi had overtaken the former Real Madrid man in the Ballon d'Or race, winning the much-prized accolade, his sixth, last year. 

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Ronaldo equals Serie A goalscoring record 

Ronaldo's brace against Parma meant another record for him. The 35-year-old Portuguese international has now become only the fourth footballer in Serie A to have netted at least 33 goals in a calendar year. He equalled the record set by former Juventus forward Omar Sivori's goal tally dating back to 1961 when he scored 36 Serie A goals in a calendar year.  

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Image courtesy: Cristiano Ronaldo Twitter