Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been named the 2012 top footballer in the Commonwealth of Independent states (CIS).

Mkhitaryan was ranked the top player by 45 sports reporters. He finished first with 172 points, beating his nearest rival, Alexander Kerzhakov, by 88 points.

Twenty-two reporters placed Mkhitaryan in first place, eight in second, eight in third, and two in fourth.

Three reporters from Azerbaijan did not give any points to the Armenian footballer.

Mkhitaryan  is an attacking midfielder, who currently plays for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk. The 23 year-old is also a member of the Armenian national team.