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Messi Names Four Players Who'll Rival Him For The Ballon d'Or

Messi Names Four Players Who'll Rival Him For The Ballon d'Or

The Barcelona superstar has named four players who can potentially raise the Ballon d'Or.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

Who'll land the 2018 Ballon d'Or?

Well, Lionel Messi has named four players who have the potential to lift the coveted individual prize.

His footballing adversary Cristiano Ronaldo has won back-to-back gongs in 2016 then in 2017, which put the Real Madrid star level with him.

And, no doubt, the pair of five-time winners will be vying for the award this year, too.

Ronaldo shows off his Ballon d'Or success. Image: PA
Ronaldo shows off his Ballon d'Or success. Image: PA

While Ronaldo and Messi will be the front runners to raise Ballon d'Or glory, the Argentine maestro has also identified a couple of other players who can rival himself and Ronaldo.

"There are many great players around today who can win the Ballon d'Or," Messi told WorldSoccer Magazine via Mirror.

Messi and Suarez embrace. Image: PA
Messi and Suarez embrace. Image: PA

Messi is aware of the Ballon d'Or stranglehold between himself and Ronaldo, but he's recognised the emergence of Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as well as club colleague Luis Suarez.

"In recent years there have just been two, but now players like Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Luis Suarez can compete," he added.

The last time a player not called Ronaldo or Messi won the Ballon d'Or was all the way back in 2007.

AC Milan starlet Kaka won it then ahead of Ronaldo and Messi.

Neymar celebrates scoring a goal for PSG. Image: PA
Neymar celebrates scoring a goal for PSG. Image: PA

Will 2018 be the year to break up the Ronaldo-Messi dominance?

Lets face it, the most likely candidate to do so is PSG's Neymar. The brilliant Brazilian is in scintillating form for his new side following his mega-switch from Barcelona.

He's already weighed in with an impressive 28 goals in all competitions.

The French giants, who are 12 points clear of nearest rivals AS Monaco in Ligue Un, revert their attention to the Champions League, as they face defending champions Real Madrid in the tie of the round.

Neymar's involvement in Europe's elite competition will ultimately determine his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or.

Who's taking home the 2018 Ballon d'Or? Give us your prediction in the comment section below.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Football, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Darren Till, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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