Esteban Granero has likened Cristiano Ronaldo to iconic rock 'n' roll band AC/DC and Lionel Messi to reggaeton music, and opined that the 31-year-old Portuguese should win The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2016 award.

The Australian group is famous for mega-hits such as Highway to Hell and Back in Black, while reggaeton, which is influenced by Latin American, Caribbean and hip hop music, emerged in Puerto Rico in the late-1990s.

"Cristiano would be, for instance, AC/DC – something heavy metal," the Real Sociedad midfielder, who played alongside Ronaldo at Real Madrid, told AS TV. "And Messi... let's say that Messi is reggaeton. But the good kind!"

Ronaldo and Messi are competing for The Best FIFA Men’s Player prize along with Antoine Griezmann. Granero thinks it should go to his former team-mate.

“It’s logical there’s a lot of debate,” said the 29-year-old. “But I think Cristiano is the fairest choice.”

The Best FIFA Men’s Player will be crowned at The Best FIFA Football Awards™ ceremony in Zurich on 9 January 2017.