Messi and Ronaldo Accused of Tactical Voting in Battle for Ballon d'Or

Details have emerged that neither Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo voted for one another in nominations for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

The two La Liga stars went head-to-head at a glittering awards ceremony in Zurich to be crowned the world's best footballer.

After scoring a record-breaking 91 goals during 2012, Barcelona star Messi eventually picked up the award for the fourth consecutive year, but according to the Daily Mail the Argentine ace didn't choose Real Madrid rival Ronaldo in his top three players of the past 12 months.

The Ballon d'Or honour is selected by votes gathered from national team captains and coaches.

Argentina skipper Messi chose Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Radamel Falcao as his top three whilst Portuguese captain Ronaldo abstained from voting—instead allowing A Selecao vice-captain Bruno Alves to nominate his trio.

Zenit St Petersburg defender Alves selected his compatriot in top spot and made up his list with Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie.

The tit-for-tat row mattered little in the end with Messi winning the voting by a landslide, although the political ramifications will only further intensify the rivalry between the two Spanish superpowers.

For a full breakdown of the voting, click here