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The debate on who will win the Ballon d'Or 2018 has been on for a while. With many naming Ronaldo to be the deserving one, but Luka Modric and Leo Messi are also on the list. Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his French teammate Kylian Mbappe are also contenders to win it.
This article lists the 3 reasons why Messi should win it.
#3 Most LaLiga assists
Messi won the Golden Boot 2017-18, and unsurprisingly he was the top assist provider in LaLiga as well.
The sole difference between Messi and any other forward is versatility. The Argentine is a supreme playmaker who can also score when his team needs him to. Messi has not made it into the list of the FIFA Men's Player of the Year award, and this has surprised fans.
Messi bagged 12 assists and 34 goals in just 36 appearances for Barcelona in LaLiga, with an overall rating of 8.68. Maybe this is not something special for Messi anymore, as the man does it regularly.
Messi scored the most goals, produced the most assists, played the most key passes, and completed the most dribbles as Barcelona won LaLiga last season, but not even a top three nominee for FIFA's Best Player award? A victim of his own greatness.
This makes people not respect the awards anymore, with many naming it a popularity contest, and not an award based on stats. Messi has been pretty underrated this season, and the season before, as his contributions to the team have been more than just scoring goals.
#2 Domestic double for Barcelona
Barcelona has won the domestic double 7 times in history, with the latter 4 coming after Messi made his debut. Messi is arguably the best player ever for Barcelona, as the Argentine has won 31 trophies, making him the most decorated player for Barcelona, along with Iniesta.
However, the domestic double is considered just above average for a team like Barcelona, as their horrifying defeat to Roma in the UCL quarterfinals is still fresh on our minds. This might be one of the reasons why Messi won't be the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or.
Nevertheless, he has won 2 trophies with Barcelona, making it 3 last month as they defeated Sevilla for the Super Copa. Messi and Barcelona finished 17 points ahead of Real Madrid and rival Cristiano, with the Argentine also leading in the goals and assists tally.
Messi won more trophies than Ronaldo last season, and also leads in the overall stats from major competitions, that makes Messi a favourite to win Ballon d'Or.
All stats via whoscored
#1 Golden Boot winner
A total of 34 goals scored, and 12 assists to his name, in under 36 games - Leo Messi has once again won the Golden Boot.
Leo has been a phenomenal player ever since he stepped foot in the Camp Nou, and his domestic stats are mind-blowing.
Though Messi has not performed consistently in UCL games, his domestic performances have been awe-inspiring. Leo Messi is the only player to win the Golden Boot five times, all with Barcelona.
Messi was also the first player to win the award three times, Cristiano was the first player to win the award four times, and Messi again was the first, and so far (only) to win it 5 times.
Leo's consistency in terms of goal-scoring has been sublime, and he seems to age like wine. He is only getting better with time, and the 31-year-old isn't interested in moving out of Barcelona anytime soon.
Conclusion
The Ballon d'Or is said to be an award won based on stats and collective trophies, and this year Messi is leading in both categories. He won the Golden Boot with two trophies to his name.
Mbappe is ahead of Messi however, as he leads the tally for trophies, with the Frenchman winning two major trophies with PSG, and the glorious FIFA World Cup with France. Well, his individual stats aren't a match for the Argentine.
The likes of Cristiano and Modric are behind both players mentioned above in terms of trophies, although Cristiano is ahead of Mbappe on individual stats. Modric however has won the Golden Ball in the FIFA World Cup 2018, and this gives him an upper hand over the others.
The Ballon d'Or winners have apparently been Messi and Ronaldo for almost a decade, but it seems like we might have a new winner, though they both equally deserve to win the award as well. I stand with Messi, what about you?
