Which of the following Pepsi Footballers is your favorite player?

Messi never trailed. Day one he opened at 49% and never dipped below 48% for the entire 382-day run — a lock so total there were zero lead changes, an outcome cemented before the poll even hit day six.

Kaka held a distant, permanent second at roughly 19-20%, with Torres, Henry, Ballack, Drogba and Lampard splitting single digits behind him. By the final stretch Messi had crept up to 50%, turning a big lead into an outright majority of all 5,821 votes.

• No turning point · Zero lead changes across 382 days — Messi led wire to wire.
• Majority by the end · Messi's share climbed from 49% on day 1 to 50% at the close.
• Egypt drove the vote · Top country Egypt cast 156 votes, all leaning Messi.
• Overwhelmingly male turnout · Messi voters were about 76% men to 24% women.