With 159 points, Portuguese football player Cristiano Ronaldo, winning for a second time in a row, was followed by British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton (143) and Swiss tennis player Roger Federer (124). Three Slovenes were among the points. Besides Dragić, Ilka Štuhec was 42nd (with 6 points) and Luka Dončić 45th (5 points).
Each press agency voted for ten athletes. Ronaldo received 22 out of a possible 26 votes. Eight agencies placed him in the first place, one in second and three agencies in third place. Votes were given to 72 athletes in total (51 men and 21 women) from 28 countries and 25 different sports. The largest number of athletes on the list from a single country came from France – eight of them.
The poll, organised by the Polish press agency (PAP), fist took place in 1958. It includes the participation of the Slovene pres agency STA. Federer has been the most frequent winner, voted best European athlete five times. Tennis players, both male and female, have won the award thirteen times.