Lionel Messi photobombs Cristiano Ronaldo after beating him to the Uefa European Player of the Season - and even Luis Suarez got more votes

The Barcelona forward was on top form in Monaco as he was named the best player in Europe for the 2014/15 season

Jack de Menezes
Friday 28 August 2015 09:19 BST
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Cristiano Ronaldo is photobombed by Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo is photobombed by Lionel Messi (Twitter/@FootballStuff)

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The Champions League group stage draw has to go down as a bad day for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Real Madrid, having been seeded in Pot 2 after missing out on the La Liga title last season, were drawn against French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Ukrainian runners-up Shakhtar Donetsk along with Swedish side Malmo.

Ronaldo was then beaten to the Uefa European Player of the Season by his old adversary, Lionel Messi. But the worst was yet to come. With Ronaldo putting on a brave face and smiling for the camera after Messi’s victory, the Barcelona superstar seized the opportunity to photobomb his rival.

In a hilarious picture of the two, Ronaldo can be seen smiling for the camera while Messi’s beams in the background.

Cristiano Ronaldo is photobombed by Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo is photobombed by Lionel Messi (Twitter/@FootballStuff)

The Champions League draw, which took place in glamorous Monaco instead of the usual Uefa headquarters in Nyon, saw all 32 teams remaining in the competition split into eight separate groups of four teams.

Each club had representatives at the draw, with Ronaldo and Messi the biggest faces on show as they represented Real and Barca respectively. Yet, by chance, they ended up sitting within a row of each other, much to Messi’s amusement.

Peter Schmeichel welcomes Suarez, Messi and Ronaldo onto the stage
Peter Schmeichel welcomes Suarez, Messi and Ronaldo onto the stage (Getty Images)
Platini presents Messi with the Player of the Season trophy as Ronaldo looks on
Platini presents Messi with the Player of the Season trophy as Ronaldo looks on (Getty Images)

However, the results made grim reading for Ronaldo and the other candidate in the running, Messi's Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez. Only the Azerbaijan, France and Ukraine associations voted for Surez, while Ronaldo received the backing from Portugal and Turkey to finish last. All over 49 Uefa associations chose Messi as their European Footballer of the Season in what was clearly a landslide victory.

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