Copa America 2019: Top 4 contenders to win the Golden Ball

The 46th edition of the Copa America is gradually coming to an end, as what began with 12 teams has been narrowed down to the final four.

Host nation Brazil lead the way to be crowned champions while Lionel Messi would be hoping to end his international hoodoo with Argentina. Chile and surprise package Peru complete the quartet.

South America is arguably the most naturally blessed continent when it comes to footballing talent, as some of the greatest in history have come from there and the ongoing edition of the Copa America has brought out the best the continent has to offer in terms of footballing ability.

A lot of players have come to the fore in getting their nations this far, with their top-notch displays on the field playing a major role in deciding the outcome of matches for their countries.

The Golden Ball award is an accolade designed to reward the player adjudged to have performed significantly better than others and the 2019 edition of the Copa America has had its fair share of players who have stood up to be counted.

In this piece, we have a rundown of the top four contenders to be named the best player of the tournament.

#4 Lionel Messi (Argentina)

So far this has not been Lionel Messi's tournament, with just one goal (scored from the penalty spot) being all that he has contributed to Argentina's cause so far.

However, seeing as Argentina have gotten this far without him, the time could well be set for the Barcelona maestro to step to the plate and deliver when it matters most for his country.

Messi's performance levels are well documented and as such would represent foolishness to write off his chances judging by his no-show till this point, as the 32-year-old remains one of the most decisive players in the history of the game.

Just two matches stand between Lionel Messi and a long-elusive international trophy and with the Rosario-native desperate to get his hands on something with the national team, do not be surprised if he enters the zone with superhuman performances over the next one week and inspires his nation to glory.

#3 Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)

Coutinho's form with Brazil goes in contrast with his Barcelona struggles

The 2018/2019 season is one which Philippe Coutinho would not look back on too fondly. He struggled to maintain any form of consistency at Barcelona, was horribly off-form for most of the campaign and was the target of boos on multiple occasions by the Camp Nou crowd.

There are strong indications that his time at the club might be up and he could be on his way to a new club barely 18 months after completing his high-profile move to Spain.

However, his patchy club form has not distracted him from the job at hand, as the 26-year-old has gone about his business in Brazil with minimum fuss, performing at an optimum to take his nation this far.

When Neymar was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, the mantle fell upon Coutinho to provide on-field leadership and the former Liverpool man has not disappointed, playing a starring role as Brazil seek to win a first Copa America title since 2007.

So far, Coutinho has scored two goals and registered one assist while he also converted from the penalty spot in Brazil's crunch quarterfinal victory over Paraguay.

#2 Lautaro Martinez

Lautaro Martinez has been Argentina's standout player

Heading into this tournament, not much was expected from Argentina owing to multiple factors including inexperience of their coach and players as well as poor form and preparation.

Most of their hopes hinged squarely on Messi's shoulders and if anyone was to predict that Argentina would get to the semifinals, it would have been believed that the Argentine record goalscorer would play a massive role in getting them this far.

However, that has not been the case, as a certain 22-year-old Lautaro Martinez has upstaged his captain and other established stars in the Albiceleste squad.

He only made his international debut a little over a year ago and scored his first goal for Argentina in October of last year but has grown to new heights in the ongoing Copa America.

Having started Argentina's maiden game on the bench and failing to take to the field, Martinez has been a mainstay since then, winning the penalty in the second match against Paraguay while scoring in both matches against Qatar and Peru.

Beyond his goals, the Inter man has also shown great vibrancy in attack, constantly hassling opposition defenders with his tireless running while he has shown a great understanding with Sergio Aguero.

#1 Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez has been the standout star of the tournament

Like Philippe Coutinho, Alexis Sanchez struggled for form at club level, but the Chilean's case was unarguably worse, as he has contributed next to nothing since completing his celebrated move to Manchester United in January 2018.

The 30-year-old is currently the highest paid player in Premier League history but has offered absolutely nothing to justify his humongous wages.

In 45 matches for Manchester United in all competitions, Sanchez has scored just five goals and to call him a waste of resources at Old Trafford is putting it mildly.

However over the years, the former Arsenal star has always reserved his best performances for his national team and that has been the case so far at the Copa America. Sanchez has been totally unplayable, providing the spark in attack and showing the world that talk of his decline have been greatly exaggerated.

So far, in four matches played, Sanchez has scored two goals and registered one assist while also scoring the decisive penalty in the quarterfinal to keep Chile in the running for a third consecutive Copa America triumph.

Alexis is the current holder of the Golden Ball award having been adjudged the best player of the Copa America Centenarrio in 2016 and if he is to keep up with his performance levels, then he could well make it two on the trot.