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Former Barcelona defender Rafa Marquez has revealed his pick for the Ballon d'Or award this year and, surprisingly, it is not Lionel Messi. According to the Mexican, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski deserves to be named the best Player in the world due to his consistency.
Marquez expressed his opinion:
"This year, Lewandowski has been the most consistent and Bayern is one of the favorites to win another Champions League."
Rafa Marquez also shared his views on who he thinks is the greatest Player in football history. Once again, the former Barcelona center-back snubbed Lionel Messi.
"The best player in history is Pele"
Having represented multiple clubs in his career, including Barcelona, Monaco and Hellas Verona, the Mexican got the chance to work with many managers. For specific reasons, he believes Pep Guardiola stands out.
He explained:
"The truth is that I have had very good coaches, starting with Ricardo La Volpe in Mexico from a young age."
"I had to learn a lot from him, especially in tactical matters. Didier Deschamps played me at Monaco, then Frank Rijkaard, Guardiola and so on."
"For me the best is Guardiola. He has a lot of ideas about football, but mostly it works. Whenever he is on the field, he gives the best he has. He is a perfectionist and that's what makes him different."
"With him I won the sextet, the treble, I had so many good times."
Lionel Messi leading the race for Ballon d'Or 2021
Lionel Messi has been named on the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award. The Argentine is the favorite to be named the best footballer on the planet once again following his spectacular year with club and country.
Messi led Barcelona to claim the Copa del Rey last season, bagging 38 goals and 14 assists for the Catalan giants across all competitions. He also inspired Argentina to Copa America glory, topping the charts for goals and assists while also winning the Player of the Tournament award.
Meanwhile, the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jorginho and Karim Benzema pose serious competition for the Argentine in the Ballon d'Or race. It remains to be seen if he will win the accolade for the seventh time in his career when the winner is revealed on November 29.
