Former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who is widely considered by many to be one of the best players of all time, has been named the best European striker of the past 20 years.
'I Faced Messi When He Was 16, I Asked To Come Off'
The 35-year-old has been voted as the best European forward since 2000, according to BBC Sport, who conducted a poll on Thursday.
Per the publication, only players born in Europe were considered for the title, and that "to be included on the shortlist, players must have scored at least 20 goals in three seasons and their international pedigree and success has also been taken into account".
BBC journalists shortlisted 32 strikers on the continent, and ran a World Cup-style poll that went from a round of 32, to a last 16, to a quarter-final, a semi-final and then a final.
Click through the gallery below to see a recent ranking of the 15 greatest players of all time!
In the first round, Ronaldo was pitted against his former Manchester United and Los Blancos colleague Ruud van Nistelrooy, and beat the Dutchman by receiving 90% of the votes.
In the round of 16, the Portuguese beat Roma legend Francesco Totti with 89% of the votes, and breezed past Wayne Rooney in the quarter-finals with the same percentage.
Breaking: Ronaldo Becomes Football's First Billionaire
In the semi-final poll, the Juventus forward received 78% of the votes against Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski, and went on to beat Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in the final with a score of 54%.
Do you think Ronaldo is the best European striker since 2000? Let us know in the comments section below.
Download The Soccer Laduma Social Media App & Earn Airtime for
