• Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi (Photo : REUTERS/Paul Hanna )

The ongoing debate among football fans about who is the best player in the world may have some positive results for the city of London, England. The city is now the location of a creative scheme that encourages people to throw their cigarette butts into bins instead of on the streets. This is being achieved by asking regular people to vote for the best player in their opinion, by throwing their cigarette butts in bins labelled "Cristiano Ronaldo" or "Lionel Messi."

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According to Daily Mail, an environmentalist group called Hubbub created the scheme. The Ronaldo vs. Messi cigarette butt poll is part of a "Neat Streets" campaign launched by the group.

They placed the specialized Ronaldo and Messi cigarette butt bins outside the Embankment Tube in Central London. Local residents and passers-by, who previously flicked their cigarette butts right on the sidewalk can now use their litter to pledge allegiance to their favorite player..

According to the official Hubbub website, the cigarette bins will be featuring various other sports-related questions apart from the Ronaldo vs. Messi poll. With the football season now in full swing, "Who will win the next El Clasico?" could easily appear on a set of bins. After all, the rivalry between Ronaldo's Real Madrid and Messi's FC Barcelona is one of the most celebrated sports rivalries in the world.

As seen in a photo shared by Twitter user @Michael Leong, Ronaldo currently has a slight edge over his Argentine rival. The advantage is small but it appears that some Ronaldo supporters might not just be hindered from littering, the campaign might be helping them quit as well. In the Ronaldo bin, which is about half-full, some whole, unsmoked cigarettes could be seen.


The "Neat Streets" campaign was launched back in May and will run until October. The "Vote with your Butt" movement is just one of a few other environment-friendly schemes, that were launched by the group. Other Hubbub campaigns call for recycled fashion, healthier food options and prevention of food wastage.