Ballon d’Or: Cristiano Ronaldo leaked as 2016 winner as France Football get ready to confirm Real Madrid star takes title for fourth time

CRISTIANO RONALDO will be named Ballon d'Or winner for the fourth time - after France Football unwittingly leaked the result.

Snaps have emerged of France Football's upcoming magazine showing Ronaldo holding the golden ball trophy triumphantly, not Lionel Messi.

The Portuguese has scored 19 goals for club and country this term, adding to the 51 he netted for Los Blancos last term and three at Euro 2016.

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Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League back in May, beating Atletico Madrid on penalties in the final.

Then Ronaldo fired Portugal to the final of the Euros, but had to watch most of the triumph from the sidelines after sustaining a knee injury, which also curtailed his pre-season training.

Ronaldo, 31, has won the Ballon d'Or three times before, in 2008 when at Manchester United, then in 2013 and 2014 as Real Madrid's superstar.

Lionel Messi has, of course, won the honour FIVE times, in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015.

But this year has been the year of the Portuguese, usually of the two, whomever has won the Champions League takes home the trophy.

Ronaldo even dyed his hair gold after receiving confirmation of his win, showing off golden locks to match his golden reputation of one of this era's true legends of the game.

France Football have taken back control of the Ballon d'Or award after Fifa ran the prize for the last five years.

The French publication are likely to name Messi in second place, with many suspecting Antoine Griezmann will be third, even though there have been calls for Luis Suarez to be named.