Iker Casillas beats Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben to win prestigious Golden Foot award
Iker Casillas has pipped Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to the Golden Foot award.
The former Real Madrid man beat a shortlist of 10 players who are over the age of 28 and haven’t won the award before.
It is decided by a public online poll for players who stand out for their achievements in the sport.
The winner leaves a permanent mould of his footprints or handprints on “The Champions Promenade” on the seafront in Monaco.
And the 36-year-old, who plays for Porto, beat the likes of Manuel Neuer, Sergio Ramos, Arjen Robben, Thiago Silva, Luis Suarez, Yaya Toure and Andrea Pirlo to the award.
During a gala attended by Roberto Mancini and Michael Owen in a plush hotel in Monaco, Casillas stepped up to receive his plaque.
When asked about his future, he said: “I would like to do something related to the world of football, something that is getting closer and closer, having to hang up the gloves.”
A host of famous names have won it in the past including Gianluigi Buffon in 2016, Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2012 and Francesco Totti back in 2010.
Previous winners of the Golden Foot
2003 – Roberto Baggio
2004 – Pavel Nedved
2005 – Andriy Shevchenko
2006 – Ronald0
2007 – Alessandro Del Piero
2008 – Roberto Carlos
2009 – Ronaldinho
2010 – Francesco Totti
2011 – Ryan Giggs
2012 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic
2013 – Didier Drogba
2014 – Andres Iniesta
2015 – Samuel Eto’o
2016 – Gianluigi Buffon
Italy legend Roberto Baggio was the first man to be crowned Golden Foot in 2003 followed by Pavel Nedved.
Meanwhile Casillas’ agent has called Liverpool’s chances of signing the veteran “crazy.”
Carlo Cutropia insists there is ‘no truth’ to rumours that his client will be coming to the Premier League.
