Tuesday, January 13, 2015 3:57am ET by  
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One Direction's Niall Horan: 'Cristiano Ronaldo is an incredible role model'

One Direction star Niall Horan has lavished praise on footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Real Madrid man was named the world's top footballer on Monday (January 12) when he received the annual Ballon d'Or award for the third time.

Singer Horan, who is an avid fan of Derby County, took to Twitter after the award was presented to praise Ronaldo's skills on and off the pitch.

He said: "Congratulation @Cristiano on winning the ballon d'or, you're an incredible athlete, player and role model!"

One Direction meanwhile are currently gearing up for their latest world tour.

The lads will embark on the On The Road Again tour from early February, with the first batch of dates taking place in Australia.

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Watch One Direction perform live below: