5 things Lionel Messi needs to do to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi could win a record seventh Ballon d'Or but he will need to accomplish a few more things to get there.
Last summer was nightmarish as far as Lionel Messi and Barcelona were concerned. The player had had enough with the former management and informed them of his intention to leave the club. However, he ended up staying put at Barcelona and endured a difficult start to the campaign under new manager Ronald Koeman.
However, as the club settled down away from the pitch, Lionel Messi settled on it. His numbers since the turn of the year have been incredible and we're starting to see the best of Lionel Messi once again. Could he bag another Ballon d'Or and go two clear of Cristiano Ronaldo?
Well, he'll need to do these things in order to do that.
#5 Lionel Messi should finish as top scorer in La Liga
Lionel Messi has finished as the top scorer in La Liga in the past four seasons. He is well on his way to being La Liga's top scorer for a fifth season running. Messi currently has 23 goals from 27 appearances in the La Liga this term.
Gerard Moreno of Villarreal is at second but he only has 19 goals, four less than Lionel Messi. The form that Lionel Messi is in, he won't find it difficult to bag more goals before the season draws to a close.
If he finishes as top scorer in La Liga and bags a record eighth Pichichi trophy, he'll have moved an inch closer towards winning the Ballon d'Or.
#4 Finish with most number of assists in La Liga
Lionel Messi is not only the main goalgetter at Barcelona but he continues to also be the creator-in-chief for them. There is no player in the Spanish top-flight who's more threatening with the ball at his feet in the final third than Messi.
In addition to the 23 goals he has scored, Lionel Messi has provided eight assists so far this term. He is currently second on the assist chart behind Iago Aspas.
If Lionel Messi can overtake Iago Aspas over the next nine gameweeks, then there is every chance that he will once again be topping both the goals and assists charts in La Liga. If he does that, he'd easily be chosen as La Liga player of the year as well.