U.S. forward Carli Lloyd, Cristiano Ronaldo win FIFA best player awards

ZURICH – Carli Lloyd of the United States won her second FIFA’s best woman player award, even if an Olympic gold medal eluded her. Cristiano Ronaldo also won FIFA’s best player award for men for the fourth time.

Lloyd seemed surprised to retain the prize she first won after an outstanding 2015 Women’s World Cup on the title-winning U.S. side.

Still, Melanie Behringer of the Germany team that won the Olympic title in Rio de Janeiro, placed third in the voting totals, and five-time winner Marta of Brazil was runner-up.

“I honestly was not expecting this,” Lloyd, who captained the U.S. team that exited in the Olympics quarterfinals, said in her acceptance speech.

“I know Melanie did fantastic in the Olympics. (She and Marta are) both so deserving of this award,” the Houston Dash forward said.

Lloyd tallied 20.68 percent of the voting points, Marta got 16.60 percent and Melanie Behringer, who retired from national team duty after the Olympics, got 12.34 percent.

Ronaldo was awarded after Portugal and Real Madrid won both major European titles in 2016.

He beat Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann to complete a sweep of top individual awards.

Ronaldo’s fourth FIFA award closed the gap on five-time winner Messi, the runner-up to each Ronaldo victory, who did not attend the ceremony.