Rabat- A poll conducted by the Spanish leading sports newspaper MARCA.com has voted Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo as the best overseas sports star of 2013.
24, 5 % of those participating in the poll voted in favor of Cristiano Ronaldo followed by the holder of Formula 1 title Sebastien Vettel (21%) and NBA star Lebron James (16%).
2013 had been outstanding for the Portuguese international whose decisive goals and assists helped his country to book a seat in Brazil’s 2014 World Cup with a play-off win against Sweden. Real Madrid’s number one might seal what has been the finest year of his professional career yet with a second Ballon d’Or on January 13th after he lifted his first prestigious trophy in 2008 during his heydays with Manchester United.
The 28-year-old has scored 69 goals in 2013, more than his Ballon D’Or rival Leo Messi who scored a total of 45 goals over the same season. Ronaldo is currently La Liga’s top scorer so far with 18 goals in just 16 Liga appearances this season and he is well on course for a second consecutive Pichichi prize.
The Madeira-born is the favorite star to win the Ballon d’Or ahead of the winner of the last four years editions Leo Messi whose injury left him behind in the race to win his fifth, and Bayern Munich’s Frank Ribery who, in spite of winning every trophy this season with the Bavarians, is still coming up short in terms of one-on-one stats against CR7.
In the Women’s poll, it was the Tennis player Serena Williams who was nominated best overseas star of 2013. U.S swimmer Missy Franklin (11%) and Jamaican sprinter, Shelley-Ann Fraser- Pryce (9%) completed the poll’s top 3.
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