Ballon d'Or 2019 News: Neither Messi nor Ronaldo deserve the award; it should go to a Champions League finalist, says Sergio Aguero
What's the story?
With yet another exciting season almost drawing to a close, fans have already started speculating over who will win the coveted Ballon d'Or in December this year, judging the players based on their performances and silverware won during this year's campaign.
Though five-time winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain the favorites for the honor as always, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has called for the award to be presented to a player featuring in this season's UEFA Champions League final, effectively ruling out the Barcelona captain and Juventus ace.
In case you didn't know...
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo will play in the Champions League final for the first time since 2013, owing to the knockout stage defeats of their respective clubs.
The Albiceleste captain has had a wonderful season this time around, scoring 34 times in LaLiga, while also assisting 13 more, guiding Barca to their eighth league title in ten years.
He will, in all likelihood, finish as the Champions League's top scorer and also win the Pichichi award and the European Golden Shoe, but failure in Europe's elite competition have yet again hampered his chances of claiming the Ballon d'Or.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, has enjoyed a decent debut season with the Bianconeri, scoring 21 goals in the Italian top flight. However, his performances have not been up to his usual standards that he set for himself during exceptional spells at Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The heart of the matter
Whenever there's a mention of the Ballon d'Or, it is impossible to disregard Messi and Ronaldo.
However, unlike most of us, Argentina international Sergio Aguero has a different take on the matter and has even said that the Ballon d'Or should be awarded to a UCL finalist, not to his compatriot or the former Real Madrid star. He said: (via Calciomercato)
"I think someone who is in the Champions League final should win it."
What's next?
After a pretty routine season with his club, Messi will shift his focus to his nation as he looks to lead his side to glory at the Copa America that starts from June 14.
Ronaldo, who lost his previous Serie A fixture, would like to end his first season with wins over Atalanta and Sampdoria in his club's final two fixtures of the season.