'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lionel Messi is popularly regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. A major portion of the fraternity stands in awe every time he takes to the field. There are a lot of others who worship him for his truly sensational skills on the ball.
The Barcelona skipper has torn record books apart ever since he entered the global stage after his development at La Masia. Among the many trophies and honours he has claimed, perhaps nothing is as prestigious as his Ballon d'Or collection.
Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards - more than any other player in the history of the game.
Also read: 'Erratic, weak, low intensity' - Lionel Messi blasts Barcelona after Real Madrid win LaLiga
Messi has finished in the top two of the Ballon d'Or 11 times
Messi scooped the most sought-after individual prize in world football in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and most recently last year as he led from the front for Barcelona.
No other player except Cristiano Ronaldo (five Ballon d'Ors) has come close to him, especially since the start of the decade gone by. Not to mention, between 2008 and 2017, whenever Messi did not win the accolade, he still finished second. In total, he has ended up in the top two 11 times.
In the space of seven years from the start of the 2008/09 season to 2014/15, Messi amassed an incredible 370 goals for Barcelona. In total, Messi has won 34 trophies with the Blaugrana, with 10 of them being domestic titles. He has 631 Barcelona goals to his name and is the club's all-time top scorer.
Messi's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or for the seventh time, however, look slim. His Barcelona side slipped after initially holding a slender lead over Real Madrid prior to the restart. More so, the friction within the club's dressing room and the board have resulted in on-field performances taking a severe dip.
Despite Barcelona's struggles this season, Messi has had a stellar individual campaign. He became the first player in the history of the LaLiga to score 20 goals and record as many assists in a single season. He will, in all probability, finish in the top three of the Ballon d'Or standings.
Messi is most probably set to lose the Ballon d'Or trophy to Bayern Munich sharpshooter Robert Lewandowski, who has 51 goals from 43 games this season. Apart from the double, the Polish striker's side are one of the favourites to win the UCL as well.
Also read: Who is most likely to win the Ballon d'Or 2020?
