Cristiano Ronaldo thanks Real Madrid teammates for "dream year"

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that Real Madrid were 'made to suffer' in the Club World Cup final, but is delighted to have rounded off a "dream year" with more silverware.

Los Blancos triumphed in the end-of-year competition for a second time, matching their feat of 2014 by overcoming Kashima Antlers 4-2 in a thrilling final in Yokohama.

Ronaldo's penalty helped Madrid recover from a goal down at the International Stadium, before adding two more to his tally from open play in extra time to celebrate his recent Ballon d'Or success in style.

"We suffered a lot, but to win you have to suffer, and we ended the year in the best way," Ronaldo, who also played a key part in Portugal's run to their first Euro 2016 crown, told TVE.

"It's a week of great joy, with the Ballon d'Or and this World Cup, a dream year. I want to thank my teammates, because without them Cristiano could not win the individual trophy he won.

"It was an unforgettable year at a collective level and an individual level, we won the Champions League, [UEFA] Super Cup, European Championship [with Portugal] and now the World Cup, and a few days ago the Ballon d'Or. Choosing one is difficult, but the European Championship had a little more of a special taste to it because it was the first time."

Victory in the Club World Cup final also rounds off a week of milestones for Ronaldo, who scored his 500th club career goal in the semi-final before bagging hat-trick number 40 for Madrid in the final.