Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo beaten to top spot in France Football's football influencers list
In a rather surprising turn of events, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have failed to occupy the first position in a list of the most powerful influencers in the world of football.
In a list released by France Football earlier this week, Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi occupied the top position in the list, beating both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi by a considerable margin.
The list is a conglomeration of managers, football players, and club owners. France Football has also included a few illustrious ex-players on the list.
While it is shocking that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo made it to the top of the list, the clout and power that Nasser al-Khelaifi possesses in world football have propelled him to number one.
Cristiano Ronaldo finishes above Lionel Messi in France Football's list
While the list does very little to settle the biggest debate in world football, Cristiano Ronaldo gets one over Lionel Messi in this category.
Cristiano Ronaldo found himself in the second position in the illustrious list, while Barcelona captain Lionel Messi finished in the seventh list. The list includes Kylian Mbappe, Raheem Sterling, Mohamed Salah, and Lionel Messi's former teammate Neymar who is placed at number 16.
David Beckham, who recently became the co-owner of MLS club Inter Miami, also found a place on the list. The former Manchester United superstar was placed in the 45th position and continues to hold massive sway over the game in North America.
Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is surprisingly high on the list at 5th place. The super-agent has had a massive influence on world football in the recent past and has a firm grip on the careers of several superstars in world football.
In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo, Mendes also serves as the agent and mentor to the likes of David de Gea, James Rodriguez, and Diego Costa.
Jurgen Klopp's incredible achievements at Liverpool place him ahead of Lionel Messi and only slightly behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Andrea Agnelli, the president of Cristiano Ronaldo's current club Juventus, is also placed well on France Football's list.
Lionel Messi's former captain and current Al-Sadd coach Xavi Hernandez is also on the list, in the 39th position. The former Barcelona captain has had a huge impact on the way the game is played in Qatar.
A reunion with Lionel Messi remains on the cards, as Xavi is tipped to return to his boyhood club as coach in the near future.
While success on the pitch does not always translate into influence off the pitch, both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have a massive fan-following and hold considerable sway over the powers that be in the beautiful game.
Next year's list may yet see quite a few changes. With the current season far from over, both Barcelona and Juventus are in contention for Europe's prestigious crown. Only time will tell if either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo can wrest the top spot from PSG's powerful president.