4 reasons why Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d'Or this year

#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.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

Know More

Edited by Zaid Khan