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#2 Form in recent seasons
The recently crowned Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year has been in scintillating form in the last few seasons. Messi is coming off another record-breaking season with Barcelona, managing 51 goals from 49 games in all competitions.
He did endure an injury-riddled start to the new season, but against Sevilla before the international break, the Argentinean scored a world-class free-kick and showed the world that he is ready for another round of action this year. He is also among the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or this year.
Messi is the only player in the history of the beautiful game to have scored at least 40 club goals in 10 consecutive seasons. He won the European Golden Shoe for a record 6th time last season and also bagged his record-equaling 6th Pichichi Trophy.
Messi even ended the season as the top goal scorer in the Champions League. The Argentinean is hungry for European glory, which narrowly eluded his team last season, and he will be raring to go in the Champions League once again this year.
Messi scored 50 goals or more in two of the last three seasons, which shows that he is hardly finished yet.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, endured a difficult first season with Juventus last year. And even though he has started the new season well, it is hard to see him better Messi’s return this time.
The last time the Portuguese managed to do that was four years ago, in the 2015-16 season, so the Juventus man could see his nemesis catch up to him soon.
