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#3 The Cristiano Ronaldo threat
Cristiano Ronaldo has been an ever-existing threat for Lionel Messi and the rivalry of these two megastars has most assuredly been one of the most fascinating in the sporting history.
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For the Portuguese leading light, the early part of the 2017-18 season was unequivocally substandard as Cristiano Ronaldo struggled to create an impact on the pitch and looked out of his depth on several occasions.
However, the 33-year-old has been simply unstoppable since 2018 ticked over, terrorizing some of the most renowned rearguards effortlessly - and isn't that what primarily matters for the purposes of this award?
In 2018 itself, Cristiano Ronaldo has chalked up 34 goals and 6 assists having featured in 29 matches, easily outperforming his arch-rival - Lionel Messi.
On top of that, Ronaldo has recently completed a sensational move to Juventus which could further his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or as the Serie A is largely a one-horse race where Ronaldo can comfortably rack up many more goals and break a host of records. Alarming for Lionel Messi, isn't it?
