Cristiano Ronaldo has ended the four-year dominance of Lionel Messi after being awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or.

The tearful 28-year-old Real Madrid and Portugal star, who won the award in 2008, had been the overwhelming favourite to pip Barcelona and Argentina wonder Messi, winner the previous four years, and France’s Franck Ribery, who claimed the treble with Bayern Munich in 2013.

Ronaldo won with 27.99 per cent of the votes ahead of Messi (24.72 per cent) while Ribery was third (23.36 per cent) according to France Football, co-organisers of the award with FIFA.

“There are no words to describe how I feel,” said Ronaldo after being presented the award in Zurich on Monday.

“I’m delighted, I want to thank all my team-mates, all my family in the room.

“Those who know me know how many sacrifices I made to win this reward.

“I want to thank all those who had faith in me and I want to speak again about (recently deceased Portugal legend) Eusebio and (recently deceased former South Africa president) Madiba (Nelson Mandela) and to pay tribute to them one last time.”

News of Ronaldo’s success filtered through from France Football just moments before the official announcement in Zurich.

Ronaldo, who was widely expected to win after news spread on social media earlier in the day that seven members of his family were joining him in Zurich and his club Real were transmitting the award ceremony live, broke down in tears on stage during his victory speech.

Ribery, who won the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup with Bayern last season, before adding the European Supercup and Club World Cup before the turn of the year, had been the early front-runner.

But a controversial two-week extension to the voting deadline for international coaches, captains and media meant those casting their ballots could take into consideration Ronaldo’s remarkable hat-trick to beat Sweden in the World Cup play-offs in November.

That was widely believed to have been enough to tip the scales in his favour.

However, with 66 goals in his 56 matches this year – more than Messi and Ribery’s combined 65 – no-one could deny Ronaldo was a worthy winner.

It is the second time he has picked up the award and comes in a season in which he won nothing with either club or country, an unusual situation for a Ballon d’Or winner.

As expected, Bayern’s Jupp Heynckes, who retired following their historic treble in May, won the coach’s award.

German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer was named women’s Ballon d’Or winner while Germany coach Silvia Neid won the women’s coach award.

A special honorary Ballon d’Or was given to Brazilian legend Pele, who never qualified for the award during his playing career as he never plied his trade in European club football.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic won the Ferenc Puskas best goal award for his stunning, acrobatic overhead kick from 40 yards for Sweden in a friendly against England.

Former IOC president Jacques Rogge was given the president’s prize for a “remarkable personality in sport”.

In the team of the year, Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, full-back and captain Philipp Lahm and Ribery were joined by Barcelona’s right-back Dani Alves, midfielders Andres Iniesta and Xavi and Messi, as well as Ronaldo and his Real team-mate centre-back Sergio Ramos, and Paris Saint-Germain pair Ibrahimovic and centre-back Thiago Silva.