With the Ballon d'Or nominees having recently been revealed, FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi has thrashed Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in a poll run by a popular Spanish publication.
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Los Blancos forward Ronaldo is said to be the favourite for the award, according to thousands of fans and many players across the globe.
The Portuguese has enjoyed a successful 2016, winning the UEFA Champions League with Real and the European Championship with Portugal.
Spanish publication Marca recently ran a Ballon d'Or poll, asking fans who their favourite for the accolade is.
Surprisingly, Ronaldo claimed only 26.6% of the votes from the 100 000 participants, while the 31-year-old's counterpart Messi garnered 58% of the votes.
The Argentine has outscored the Los Blancos man in 2016 so far, and has contributed to 22 more goals than the Portugal captain too.
Messi has found the net 49 times and assisted a further 29 strikes this year, while Ronaldo has hit the back of the net on 41 occasions and set up just 15 goals.
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The Blaugrana talisman has also won two trophies in 2016 – the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey.
Who do you think should win this year's Ballon d'Or? Let us know in the comments section below.
