Ballon d'Or 2018: Top 5 favourites for the final 3-man shortlist

#2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi had a great domestic campaign with Barcelona last season

Despite being snubbed during both the UEFA and FIFA Player Of The Year awards recently, there is no doubt Barcelona maestro, Lionel Messi remains one of the few nominees that could make it into the final shortlist for the Ballon d'Or award this year.

The Argentine had a great domestic campaign with the Catalan giants last season, consistently producing spectacular performances throughout the term and helping La Blaugrana to claim both the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey trophy.

Messi was arguably the best attacker on the continent during the campaign, bagging an unbelievable 34 goals and 12 assists in 36 La Liga appearances to claim both the Pichichi trophy and the European Golden Shoe as well as finishing the season with a whopping 44 goals and 18 assists across all competitions.

That, coupled with his electrifying start to the campaign could see the mercurial Argentine climb up to the Ballon d'Or podium on the 3rd of December, this year.

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.

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Edited by Paneer Selvam