3 players who could pip Lionel Messi to the Ballon d'Or award this year
We are moving closer to the end of the year and the battle for the Ballon d'Or is already heating up. There are a lot of players out there who would kill just to get their hands on the prestigious accolade. Lionel Messi won the FIFA The Best Award recently - to the chagrin of some fans, to the admiration of some others, and to the joy of some.
To some extent, winning the FIFA The Best award may look like the Argentine is heading towards a sixth Ballon d’Or award. But, going by some performances that we witnessed on the turf last season, it is fair to say that there are some players out there with the kind of exploits that might give Messi a tough run.
Surely, this is not to say that the little magician does not deserve to win the award. No, far from it! He has as much of a chance as any of the players mentioned here. Below, we run a list of 3 contenders who can pip the playmaker to the accolade come December:
#3 Mohamed Salah
The only African player on the list, Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah is in contention to claim the prestigious Ballon d'Or accolade once again this year - courtesy of his brilliant performances with The Reds last season.
The Egyptian was one of the top performers in Jurgen Klopp's team as they ran riot in both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Salah finished as one of the top scorers in the English top flight during the term, sharing the Golden Boot with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and compatriot Sadio Mane after they all concluded the term with 22 goals each.
Although Liverpool narrowly lost the EPL title to Manchester City, Salah and his colleagues still ensured they finished the term on a high note by triumphing in the Champions League. The Egyptian bagged 5 goals and 2 assists in the tournament, and he'd surely offer some competition to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or battle this year.