Gary Lineker Hits Back After German Legend Brands Ballon d'Or Award a 'Popularity Contest'

Former Leicester City and Tottenham striker Gary Lineker has responded to Philipp Lahm's comments about the Ballon d'Or.

The ex-Bayern Munich full-back branded the prestigious award as "just a competition of popularity for the attackers" after Cristiano Ronaldo picked up his fifth Ballon d'Or, ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar.

Although Lahm's comments don't seem too far from the truth, Lineker has his own explanation as to why the Ballon d'Or normally goes to the best forwards.

"Or it could be that the best players, certainly in the last decade, have been forwards," Lineker said on Twitter, responding to Lahm's comments about the competition.

"In fact you could argue that, if it were truly for the best footballer of the year rather than, on occasions, the best footballer from the best team, Messi would win it every year."

Former AC Milan playmaker Kaká was the last player to be given the Ballon d'Or that wasn't Ronaldo or Messi, with World Cup-winning centre-back Fabio Cannavaro winning the award in 2006 - a decade after defensive midfielder Matthias Sammer secured the title during his time at Borussia Dortmund.

Although the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Pavel Nedvěd have won the award, two players who would not strictly be classed as 'attackers', the appearance of defensive players and goalkeepers in the Ballon d'Or rankings are few and far between.