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The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious award in football, granted to the most impressive male footballer on the planet annually, with regards to performances and achievements during the year. It is the pinnacle of individual success in men’s football and as such, the most coveted award by any player.
Since 2008, the accolade has been dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi until it experienced interference last year when Luka Modric won it following his exploits with Croatia in the FIFA World Cup that took place in Russia.
Messi and Ronaldo, labeled arguably the greatest players in history, won the award for 10 straight years (between 2008-2017) claiming it 5 times each. Such is the dominance of this duo that one is expectedly at some point in the year, tempted to presumably give the award to either of them before the season ends.
The same is the case this year. Both players have been dominating the football world as usual and have both been tipped to repeat their culture once again. However, concise observation and in-depth analysis suggest that the battle for supremacy between these two legends will not be as intense as it used to be, given that one is miles ahead of the other in terms of output this season.
It is quite obvious that Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has been the better of the two - courtesy of his electrifying performances for a treble seeking Barcelona side this season. The Argentine already deserves to win the coveted Ballon d’Or accolade despite the fact that the season is yet to be concluded and below are 4 reasons why:
#4 Champions League exploits
The Champions League is the biggest stage in club football and Lionel Messi is proving himself to be the biggest superstar on the planet - thanks to his scintillating performances in Europe's elite tournament this season.
The Argentine is a man on a mission in Europe this term, with his 10 goals and 3 assists from 8 appearances placing him comfortably on top of the goalscoring charts, while he also remains in contention to claim the trophy once again after guiding his side into the semifinals for the first time in four years.
As it stands, Messi looks highly likely to finish as the Champions League top scorer this season and considering that he is head and shoulders ahead of everyone in the competition this term, there should be no doubts over his chances of securing his sixth Ballon d'Or accolade this year.
#3 Ronaldo's Champions League exit
In this era, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are always the favorites to claim the Ballon d'Or and they have both shown their credentials once again this year with impressive displays for their respective clubs.
In a year without the World Cup, Champions League performances between these two players becomes the highest parameter for measuring their output.
In the European tournament this season Messi clearly has the edge. The Argentine successfully guided Barca into the semifinals of the competition with his 10 goals and 3 assists, Ronaldo's 6 goals and 2 assists weren't enough to power Juventus to that stage as they were knocked out of the tournament by a young Ajax side in the quarter-finals.
Considering that Ronaldo is Messi's biggest rival for the Ballon d'Or and he has surpassed him on the biggest stage, there should be no argument against the Argentine winning the Balon d'Or accolade this year.
#2 Messi's incredible domestic form
Leo's performances in the La Liga have always been classic. Since he burst onto the scene as a teenager, no one has been rated above him in the Spanish top flight; not even Cristiano Ronaldo, his greatest rival.
He has been named the best La Liga player and the best attacker on multiple occasions within the last 10 years. He is the highest goalscorer in the competition's history with over 400 goals. Messi's standards look exceptional when compared to the level of any La Liga player in history.
In the 2018/2019 season, he is proving his dominance once again with no one to challenge his numbers. He keeps improving with the season and he has been the most consistent player in the league this term without a single doubt.
In just 32 La Liga games so far, the Argentine has scored 34 goals and provided 15 assists, which makes him the most prolific player across Europe's top 5 leagues for both goals and assists.
Besides leading Barcelona to clinch their 8th league title in 11 years, Messi has also powered the Catalans to another Copa del Rey final, recording 2 goals and 3 assists to his name as Los Blaugrana continue to march towards a historic treble this season.
Without argument, Leo is the player with the highest number of goals and assists both in Spain and in Europe this season. He looks set to claim his sixth Pichichi award with few games left to play.
With Barcelona having won the league, there is no denying that Lionel Messi is the most effective player to their course as they keep moving on with their treble ambitions.
#1 His overall dominance
Across Europe's top five leagues this season, no player comes near Messi. His eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo is performing below his standards after moving to Juventus with 26 goals in all competitions. Reigning Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric also looks a shadow of himself in a mediocre season with Real Madrid.
So, Leo clearly belongs in a league of his own at the moment. His effectiveness in the team across every competition this season has been tremendous and most times, Barca look ordinary whenever he is not on the field.
Being the talismanic figure of the team in terms of creativity and goals, Leo has proven beyond every doubt, his importance to the Catalan giants. Despite the plethora of midfield talents and strikers in Europe, Messi has outperformed all of them in terms of creativity and goals this season. He has mastered the very best way of playing football as highlighted by his performance and statistics.
The attacker has recorded 46 goals and 23 assists to his name across all competitions so far. He is the leading scorer and provider in both Spain and Europe this season as well as the leading goalscorer in the Champions League. With Barcelona in the semifinals of the UCL as well as a few games left in both the La Liga and the Copa Del Rey, he will surely increase his numbers before the end of the season.
