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With Cristiano Ronaldo gone, Leo Messi is definitely the best player in La Liga.
Messi has won five Pichichi Trophies (the award for the highest goalscorer of the season) in La Liga, the highest by any player. He has been the winner of the trophy in both of the last two campaigns, and that too in the presence of Ronaldo.
Messi scored 34 goals and assisted 12 goals for the Blaugrana in the last season. He was also on the top of most dribbles and key passes list. He was one of the biggest reasons for Barcelona's victory.
But now, as the only challenger to Messi is gone, it's tough to answer the question as to who will be competing against the Argentine for the award.
Here's a look at the 3 likeliest contenders:
#3 Gareth Bale
The Welsh International has been in great form for the Los Blancos after coming back from injury. He proved that he can win games single-handedly with his two goals in the UEFA Champions league final. He also scored an amazing goal in the International Champions Cup match against Juventus.
Sure, the last season can't be considered a great one for the injury-prone Bale. But after Ronaldo's departure, he will surely get a lot of playing time.
For that reason, Bale can definitely be counted as a competitor to Messi for the Pichichi Trophy.
#2. Antoine Griezmann
It's no surprise that the World Cup winner is on the list for the top contenders. He has definitely proven his class in every competition, although he hasn't won the trophy yet.
With Diego Costa and now Thomas Lemar at his side, Atletico Madrid will constantly on the hunt for goals. And who knows how many goals will come from the foot of Griezmann.
Last season he scored 19 goals and assisted nine more for the team. To be honest, he will likely be on this list till the time he plays in La Liga.
#1 Luis Suarez
The player most likely to chase Messi is his own teammate, Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan has been at his best in La Liga, and he also won the Pichichi Trophy in the 2015-16 season.
Barcelona scored 99 goals last season out of which Suarez scored 25 and assisted 12. He will be on the front end for Barcelona, and he'll be assisted from the wings with crosses coming from Coutinho and Dembele.
The combination of Messi and Suarez is always fascinating to look at and this time too, they will likely prove to be fatal for other defenses.
In addition to these three players, here are a few others who can challenge Messi for the award:
- Iago Aspas
- Diego Costa
- Marco Asensio
