Puebla's Cuauhtemoc Blanco celebrates after scoring against Queretaro during their Mexican Apertura tournament match, in Queretaro, in September 2014 (AFP Photo/Adid Jimenez)

Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico football legend Cuauhtemoc Blanco appeared poised to score a victory in his political debut, leading the race for mayor in the city of Cuernavaca.

Running for the small Social Democratic Party, Blanco had 25.6 percent of the votes compared to 21.4 percent for his closest opponent, Maricela Velazquez Sanchez of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, according to a count of 70.4 percent of ballots.

The former national team star, who only retired at the age of 42 in April, used choice words to declare himself the winner late on Sunday.

Speaking of his opponents, he said: "I screwed them."

While his playing time waned at the end, Blanco left football a winner when his team Puebla won the Mexican Cup in April.

Blanco played in the 1998, 2002 and 2010 World Cups, scoring in each tournament.

His club career began in 1992 at Mexico City giants Club America and went on to play in Spain for Valladolid from 2000 to 2002, but his stint in Europe was marred by injuries.

Before returning to Mexico, he played in US Major League Soccer for the Chicago Fire from 2007 to 2009.

Known as the "City of Eternal Spring," Cuernavaca is a favorite weekend haunt of Mexico City residents, but it is also marred by crime, which Blanco would have to tackle.