By Daily Sports on December 7, 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo will be awarded this year’s Ballon d’Or, according to reports in the Spanish press.

Barcelona-based newspaper, Mundo Deportivo, claim that the Real Madrid forward will win football’s top individual prize for the fourth time on Monday.

Ronaldo is widely-expected to win the Ballon d’Or after guiding both his club and country to major silverware in the last 12 months.

Mundo Deportivo claim the winner has already been chosen and that Ronaldo has held off competition from long-standing rival, Lionel Messi, and his Barcelona teammate, Luis Suarez.

Spanish journalist, Francesc Aguilar, claims France Football – the newspaper which first founded the award – will fly to Madrid on Thursday to conduct an interview with Ronaldo.

He will then be announced as the winner the following Monday evening, after which the interview will be published.

Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Champions League last season and also led Portugal to a shock triumph at Euro 2016 in France.

However, he faces stiff competition from Messi, who has already won the Ballon d’Or five times, and Luis Suarez – who scored a remarkable 59 goals in 53 games for Barcelona last season.

Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is also in contention for the award which will, for the first time since 2009, not be associated with FIFA. (NAN)

•Photo shows Cristiano Ronaldo

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 7, 2016

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