The prize, now separated from Fifa and backed by France Football magazine, is awarded to the best football player of the year, determined by the votes of nearly 200 journalists around the world.
Ronaldo won the title after leading Real Madrid and Portugal to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Euro 2016 Championship titles respectively.
The mercurial forward has been playing football since the age of eight, and has since become one of the highest-paid athletes in sporting history.
His career has taken him all over the world, and he has played for a number of European teams, from a junior side in Madeira to becoming one of Manchester United's most talented players, to gaining fame as a record-breaking striker for Real Madrid.
This is the story of how Ronaldo went from child prodigy to one of the most famous faces in football.