Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted the world's best player in a survey of 32,000 fans from 185 countries. The results of the Barclays Global Fans Report were announced on Friday, three days before the Portugal winger is expected to be named FIFA world player of the year. Ronaldo captured 35 percent of fans' votes after scoring 42 goals last season to lead the Red Devils to European and English titles in May. Ronaldo has had a slower start to this season with 10 goals so far - just half the tally at this point last January - although he missed the first month of the season while recovering from ankle surgery. Going into Sunday's match against title rival Chelsea, he hasn't scored in the Premier League since opening the scoring in a 5-0 victory over Stoke on Nov. 15. Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who coached Ronaldo for six years in the Portugal national team, backs him to capture the FIFA award on Monday at a ceremony in Zurich. “Maybe this season there are others who might compete for the prize but not last season,” Scolari said Friday. “I hope that they give the award to Cristiano. He was the best in the world last season - far better than the rest and he deserves it.” In the Global Fans Report, Ronaldo was ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who received 17 percent of the votes and is also in contention for football's most prized individual award Monday. Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard (10 percent) and Fernando Torres (9 percent) trailed them in the survey. Spanish Euro 2008 winners Xavi Hernandez and Fernando Torres are also strong contenders, however, with the national team coaches and captains who vote on the FIFA award having sometimes favored international achievements over those at club level. Messi, an Olympic gold medalist with Argentina at the 2008 Beijing Games and last year's award winner, Brazilian midfielder Kaka, complete the top five. Kaka's inclusion this time around has raised more than a few eyebrows after what was a relatively disappointing year blighted by injuries for the AC Milan playmaker.
