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#1 Other footballers have staked better claims this year
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo won the unassailable treble this year - Messi and Barcelona won last season's LaLiga and Copa del Rey and this season's marginally significant Spanish Super Cup, while Ronaldo and Real Madrid won the more significant 3rd consecutive UEFA Champions League trophy last season, thereby making it hard to pick between the duo when it comes to trophies and the club's success.
On the other hand, this year witnessed certain other players stake their claim for the award by winning a fair bit of silverware and/or having a much more drastic impact for their teams.
Consider Kylian Mbappe, for example - the French teenager moved to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of last season on loan, before subsequently winning the domestic treble consisting of last season's Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and this season's French Super Cup.
He also won the FIFA World Cup with France - something neither Ronaldo or Messi accomplished - while playing an impactful role in all these victories.
Luka Modric is another. He too won the UEFA Champions League with Ronaldo at Real Madrid. However, he also stunningly led Croatia to the final of the World Cup - again, something neither Messi or Ronaldo accomplished.
And then there's someone like Raphael Varane. At the heart of France's and Real Madrid's defence has been the World Cup and Champions League winning defender. He has won the two most significant trophies - one with the club, and one with the country - in the very same year.
