Whilst other contenders for the title of  ‘King of Football’ have threatened periodically over the last five years, it has always been a two-man showdown. Messi vs Ronaldo, simple as that.

And while Ronaldo may win in the ‘Who most resembles a Greek god’ contest, it seems that his Argentinian nemesis is still worth a few bob more. Just the 87 million euros more, to be exact.

Espnfc.com reports the following:

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is the most valuable player in the world, well ahead of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, according to a study by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) Football Observatory

The study used an algorithm based on 1,500 fee-paying club transfers since 2009 to determine that Messi’s current transfer value is 220 million euros, while Ronaldo trails far behind at an estimated 133 million euros.

Whether or not any club can cough up the dosh to afford him is another story, although he has recently been linked with a move to Chelsea who are owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

220 million euros? That is a whole lot of moola for two magic feet but, as the saying goes, ‘if you got it, spend it’.