rival Lionel Messi on Thursday by claiming a fifth Ballon d ’Or as recognition for leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season .
Barcelona’ s 30 -year-old Argentinian superstar won the coveted award from 2009 to 2012 and in 2015. Portugal’ s Ronaldo , who is 32 , took the honours in 2008 , 2013 , 2014 and last year.
The man who came to maturity under the watchful eye of ex-Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson clinched his fourth Ballon d ’ Or after an unforgettable season , first spearheading Real to the Champions League title before also leading his homeland to Euro 2016 glory in Paris .
The France Football magazine award is decided upon by a journalists ballot (with 173 voting in 2016) with each naming a top five from a list of 30 .
British bookmakers have stopped taking bets on Ronaldo , who is a cramped 10 -1 on favourite to win, with Messi , trophyless last season , at 6 -1.
Behind this pair the bookies round out their own top five with Paris Saint -Germain’ s gifted Brazilian forward Neymar , the veteran Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and the prolific England centre-forward Harry Kane all at 33 -1.
The 2016-2017 season was in a way just as glorious for Ronaldo , who started the season slowly before Real shaded Barcelona to the domestic title and then became the first side in the modern era to defend their European crown .
After seeing off Napoli, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the knock -out rounds Ronaldo scored twice in a 4 -1 win over Juventus in the final , taking his tally to 12 goals in the competition that season.
“ Last season was exceptional . We won the league and the Champions League, where I was again the top scorer, ” Ronaldo told French daily L ’Equipe.
– ‘ I want seven ’ –
Real have a staggering seven players on the shortlist of 30 with Karim Benzema , Marcelo , Isco , Luka Modric , Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos all nominated alongside their talisman Ronaldo .
The only other Barca player other than Messi , is the Uruguayan centre -forward Luis Suarez .
On the prospect of equalling Messi ’s five wins Ronaldo quipped : “I want seven . Five is good but seven is my lucky number so seven would be great. ”
“ I want seven children and seven Ballons d ’ Or. ”
Despite his position as outsider Messi can take heart from the award ’ s history of upsets with Messi himself clinching the title against the odds in 2010 .
That season purists pointed to the achievements of Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder , winner of the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup and indeed a World Cup finalist with the Netherlands.
Also , in the run up to the vote Ronaldo has only scored twice in La Liga so far this season — although he has netted eight goals in five games in the Champions League — and Real are already eight points behind Messi ’s Barcelona.
Messi in contrast tops the Liga scoring charts with 13 goals and also secured a brilliant hat -trick for Argentina against Ecuador to clinch a last-gasp World Cup place in October, earning wide praise .
“ Leo is like Maradona for those of our generation, ” said Messi’ s compatriot, Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, himself tipped as a future winner.
“ He dragged us to the World Cup with the hat -trick in Ecuador. He is a born leader .”
Aside from Messi and Ronaldo the Ballon d ’ Or, originally conceived to honour only European players before going fully global in 2007, has three triple winners — Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten.
This year’s winner is being announced live on the L ’Equipe television channel, the French sports daily being owned by the same company as France Football .

Source : www. uniquepress.com.ng