Ballon d'Or 2016: Winner 'leaked' with Cristiano Ronaldo to beat Lionel Messi to award

The Real Madrid and Portugal forward won the Champions League at club level and captained Portugal to success at the Euros

Ronaldo and Messi have dominated competition for the award since 2008 (Getty)

Cristiano Ronaldo will win his fourth Ballon d’Or when the award’s latest winner is announced on Monday, according to reports in Spain.

The Real Madrid and Portugal forward has enjoyed a trophy-laden year on the pitch, winning the Champions League at club level and captaining his country to European Championships success.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Ronaldo is certain to see off competition from Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and will be confirmed as the winner by France Football, the award’s founders.

The award will take Ronaldo to within one of Messi’s five Ballon d’Ors, with the pair having dominated competition for the prize since 2008.

Ronaldo won the award that year, having lifted the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United, but was made to wait until 2013 to claim his second.

Reports of his success in this year’s competition follow a difficult few days for the 31-year-old forward off the pitch.

On Saturday, Ronaldo was alleged to have directed at least €150 million through the British Virgin Islands in order to avoid paying income tax.

The alleged tax avoidance was reported by several newspapers across Europe who are working in conjunction with the Football Leaks group.

The Gestifute agency, which represents Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho, who was also implicated, has denied all wrongdoing by its clients.