Cristiano Ronaldo will beat Lionel Messi to Ballon d'Or title: Oliver Kahn

Madrid: German goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn believes that the winner of the next FIFA World Footballer Of The Year award will be Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and also lamented that no goalkeeper has been nominated for the much-vaunted prize.

Kahn's remarks came in an interview released on world football's governing body FIFA's official website on Wednesday, reports Efe.

Regarding the possible winner of the award, named "Ballon d'Or", Kahn underlined: "It'll probably be another battle between Messi, who's had a strong season, and Ronaldo, who has scored another hatful of goals."

"I think Ronaldo will win again, a man who calls himself the world's best player," he explained.

The winner of eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League title for German giants Bayern Munich reiterated that many countries still do not realise the significance of nominating goalkeepers for the award.

"I think the Ballon d'Or should be for outfield players and that keepers should be recognised separately in another category," the added.