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#3 World Cup will have a say in this year’s Ballon d'Or
It was often criticized in recent years that World Cup heroics are ignored in the Ballon d'Or. But to be fair to them, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were simply phenomenal in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Also, Spain and Germany won the World Cup in 2010 and 2014 respectively because of the team effort and not individual heroics.
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But the 2017/18 European season is a lot different. No single player dominated the season and FIFA World Cup in Russia could play a huge part in who wins the Ballon d'Or 2018.
Players like Neymar, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos have a realistic chance of winning the World Cup in Russia and hence could increase their chances of landing the prestigious Ballon d’Or award later this year.
On the other hand, Argentina managed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia only on the final day of their qualification campaign. They have also lost 6-1 to Spain in a friendly last month and Jorge Sampaoli's side will need to step up their game massively to have a chance. Messi's chance of winning a FIFA World Cup does not look bright.
