FC Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has been voted for as the best footballer for 2017 ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who beat the Argentine to the latest Ballon d'Or.
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Madrid-based publication Marca recently ran a poll asking readers to have their say on who they believe was the best player in the 2017 calendar year.
Messi was voted as the best player despite his counterpart Ronaldo winning the Ballon d'Or and the Best FIFA Men's Player award last year.
Although he only won one trophy in 2017, the 30-year-old was in great form for the Catalan club, and also put in some strong displays for Argentina in their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Messi scored 54 goals and assisted a further 16 strikes in 64 games for club and country in 2017.
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With Ronaldo having won trophies such as the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles, and with Marca being a Madrid-based publication, many were surprised Messi won the voting.
Who do you think was the best footballer in 2017? Let us know in the comments section below.
