Red-carpet time for Spanish football's finest

 

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a very special hat-trick today at Madrid's Teatro Goya, by collecting an award that we at MARCA have been giving out since 1953 and whose first winner was a certain Telmo Zarra. Real Madrid's all-time top scorer will be picking up his third Pichichi Trophy in recognition of the 48 goals he bagged in 35 league appearances (working out at an average of 1.37 a game) in the 2014-15 season. The Portuguese forward will join arch-rival Lionel Messi on three wins.

Ronaldo and Messi will be the headline acts at a gala event that will bring together the leading lights in Spanish football, and which will also be attended by Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, the acting minister for education, culture and sport.

Messi will also be hoisting some silverware in the air, having been awarded the Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy for the player of the season. This is the fourth time the Argentine has claimed this accolade, breaking his tie with none other Cristiano.

The hosts will once again be Olga Viza, the journalist and regular MARCA contributor, and Edu García, who presents Radio MARCA's Marcador show. Naturally, we will be bringing you full coverage: you can choose between following the event on our radio station or watching all the action live on MARCA.com.

In addition to the traditional prizes handed out to the outstanding figures in La Liga and the second division, this year will see the joint-leading scorers in the women's top flight last term, Sonia Bermúdez and Adriana Martín, honoured alongside their male counterparts.

The trophy for fair play, named after the late Dani Jarque and Antonio Puerta, will be shared by the Atlético Madrid and Deportivo under-12s teams. They have been recognised for the example they set by swapping shirts following a game that took place a month after the violent clashes between 'Rojiblancos' and 'Blanquiazules' fans near the Calderón on 30th November 2014, in which Depor ultra Francisco Javier Romero was killed.ش