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Lionel Messi and Barcelona are on an all-conquering rampage in Europe this season, demolishing all in their path. They steamrolled past Manchester United 4-0 to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and have 9 point lead at the top of the La Liga table, with just 6 games left in the league. The Blaugrana are well on course for a treble, having already booked their spot in the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) final, where they will face Valencia CF on 25th May. Barcelona are the only European top 5 leagues side to have completed two trebles and this season's treble, if it materialises will give them a jaw-dropping 'treble treble' to add to their already world-beating set of accomplishments.
Cristiano Ronaldo on the other hand is having a relatively underwhelming season going by his lofty standards. The Portuguese talisman's club side Juventus was eliminated by the exciting AFC Ajax from the UEFA Champions League and the Old Lady was also eliminated from the Coppa Italia. Although Juventus have a 17 point lead in the Italian Seria A, Ronaldo is just 4th in the top-scorers list behind Fabio Quagliarella, Krzysztof Piatek and Duvan Zapata.
The Ballon d'Or is widely recognized as the most prestigious individual accolade in football. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the record winners at 5 each. Lionel Messi has not won the Ballon d'Or since 2015 with the last three editions going twice to Cristiano Ronaldo and the defending winner being Real Madrid's Luka Modric. The Argentine talisman seems hungry as ever for trophies and goals, playing an instrumental role in Barcelona progressing towards a historic treble treble. He was in imperious form in the Champions League quarterfinals, plundering two goals in the return leg at the Nou Camp to brush aside a clearly inferior Manchester United side.
In this article, we look at three reasons why the magisterial 'Messiah' already deserves the Ballon d'Or, for this otherworldly performances this season.
Also see : Women's World Cup, Womens World Cup Bracket, Womens World Cup Standings
#3-The gap between Messi and his competition is immense
Messi had finished a distant 5th at last year's Ballon d'Or awards, with World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe along with UEFA Champions League winners Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, scoring more than him. All four of these players have been eliminated from this year's Champions League and among the pool of players competing in the UCL semis, Messi individual record this season blows away all competition.
Messi leads the race in the La Liga, UEFA Champions League and European Golden Boot scoring charts, blowing away all competition. He has scored 45 goals and contributed 15 assists so far in all competitions for Barcelona. A scatter graph between assists per game and goals per game reveals the widening gap between Messi and the rest, Messi occupying a lonely position on the right-hand top corner. Messi also leads in terms of game impact, his record of 21 Man of the Match awards way ahead of the chasing pack this season. His goals have helped Barcelona reach the UEFA Champions League semis, lead the La Liga with a 9 point gap over their nearest rivals and reach the final of the Copa del Rey.
Messi has 15 Man of the Match Awards this season in the La Liga, the most for any player in Europe's top 5 leagues.
#2-No international competitions to weigh Messi down
Let's face it, Lionel Messi has not been able to generate the kind of impact he does for Barcelona, in the Argentina jersey. There are multiple reasons for this including rampant mismanagement in the Argentina Football Association and lack of quality in fellow Argentina players. Despite dragging Argentina to the 2014 World cup finals and the 2015 and 2016 Copa Amerca finals, the magisterial Messi has never won any major trophy with the Albiceleste.
Messi lost out on the Ballon d'Or last year as World Cup winners Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe along with World Cup finalist Luka Modric scored better. Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2014 Ballon d'Or primarily thanks to his heroics as Portugal lifted the European Championship trophy. Thus, the lack of major international tournaments in the 2018-19 season bodes well for Messi's chances to lift the Ballon d'Or.
#1-Barcelona's pragmatic gameplay under Valverde
Barcelona under Ernesto Valverde is a pragmatic, well drilled winning machine. After winning the domestic double last season, the Blaugrana look well on course for a historic 'treble treble' this season. Having learnt their lesson from last season's stunning upset at the hands of AS Roma in the Champions League quarterfinals, Valverde has added midfield steel in the form of Brazilian Arthur and solidified defence with Frenchman Clement Lenglet to transform Barcelona into a pragmatic, win-at-all-costs outfit.
Gone are the days of tiki-taka and onus on beautiful football above all else. This Barcelona side is not afraid to grind out results, as encompassed by their 1-0 away win at Old Trafford in the UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal first leg where they were not flashy or brilliant but ruthlessly efficient, becoming the first Blaugrana side to win at the Mancunian fortress. Barcelona is also the only UCL side to be unbeaten this season, a feat not even Liverpool could accomplish.
