"Messi is the best, but I'd vote for Ronaldo"

Despite his firm belief "Messi is the best", Jorge Valdano claimed he "would vote for Ronaldo" to win the Balon d'Or. "Messi hasn't been out this season", Real Madrid's former director general explained.

In a statement given to Argentine radio station 'La Red', the former player also gave his opinion regarding Bayern Munich's current coach, Pep Guardiola: "He's not intuitive, but he has a formula and he's capable of creating a method and taking it to the next level. He is the link in a long chain, but 20 years separate Cruyff and Guardiola."

"You should try and copy Barcelona, but you need 20 years to do it," he argued.

When quizzed about Messi, Valdano said this: "Injuries are never welcome but if we consider things in terms of the the World Cup, this one probably has been." Valdano went on to say that Messi "needed rest and wasn't going to get the chance in the run up to the World Cup," adding that the "break will help him reach the World Cup in tip top condition."

"Messi might lose the Balon d'Or, but he hasn't been in action since the end of last season. Ronaldo will take full advantage of the fact; he's a competitive guy, a perfectionist and very ambitious. It's great that Messi has been put to the test. Between the two of them, they have taken competitive rivalry to new heights," he said.

"If I had to cast my vote based on this season, I'd vote for Ronaldo because Messi has been out of it. Ribéry is more run-of-the-mill," Valdano concluded.