Ballon d'Or 2019: 4 favourites to lift the award
The Ballon d’Or is the ultimate individual award in football and it remains the dream of most footballers to get their hands on the prestigious award. For the better part of the last decade, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the award, with both these modern era stars winning it five times each. It was Luka Modric who broke the duopoly last year, thanks to his brilliant performances in the World Cup and Champions League.
We are in the last week of the 2018/19 campaign, with only the UEFA Champions League final left to be played. Europe's top five leagues have come to an end but none of the league winners will feature in the Champions League final. Like the past six years, there is no doubt that European success will have a major say in the voting process.
With the season coming to an end, the players will turn their focus to their duties with their respective countries. The top performers will also have one eye on the Ballon d'Or but it looks like there will be huge possibility of watching new faces on the podium.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the top 4 favourites to win the Ballon d’Or award this season.
#4. Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
The Argentine superstar has consistently proved that he is few notches above the rest with sensational performances throughout the campaign. Messi ended his campaign with 51 goals and 22 assists in all competitions, helping Barcelona win their 8th LaLiga title in the last 11 years.
Despite Barcelona's failure in the Champions League, Messi tops the scoring charts with 12 goals in the competition. The 31-year-old has already won his 6th Pichichi title and another European Golden Shoe with 36 goals in the league. Moreover, Messi leads the assist charts in the LaLiga and remains one of the top assist providers in Europe.
The Catalan giants were heading into another historic treble but they met with unexpected failure in the Champions League and Copa Del Rey. Despite his consistency, the failure in cup competitions will surely hamper Messi's hopes in his quest for another Ballon d'Or.