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#1 He has triumphed in the years following a World Cup
It is no hidden secret that Messi has not had the best of relationships with the World Cup since assuming the role of talisman for his country.
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Messi headed into the 2010 World Cup off a spectacular club season with Barcelona and being the best player united with Diego Maradona on the manager's seat and a terrific attack line, it was expected that La Albiceleste would be winners in South Africa.
The reality was however very different, as they crashed out embarrassingly to Germany in a 4-0 defeat at the quarterfinal stage with Messi failing to score a goal.
A year later, he starred with 53 goals from 55 matches in all competitions as Barcelona won the Champions League and La Liga trophies, only failing to add a second treble curtsey their 1-0 Copa Del Rey final loss to Real Madrid. It was no surprise that he became only the second player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times.
In 2014, Messi was the star of the of the show as Argentina went all the way to the final of the World Cup in Brazil only to suffer heartbreak once more to familiar foes Germany.
Messi was named Player of the Tournament, but that came as scant consolation and his grief at full time was evident, with a picture of the sadness on his face as he passed the World Cup trophy going viral and enough to draw sympathy from his staunchest critic.
In the next season, he put memories of that behind him to lead Barcelona to her second treble of La Liga, UCL and Copa Del Rey, contributing a record-breaking 58 goals in all competitions and won the fifth Ballon d'Or of his career as recognition for his efforts.
After the shenanigans in Russia last summer, it would therefore not come as a surprise if Messi follows in the trajectory of his seasons following World Cups thus far and win the Ballon d'Or next year and with the way he is going, it seems that is likely to happen.
