Zurich will be sparkling with stars tonight, January 11, 2016. The best football players and coaches across the globe will be recognized for their good job done in 2015.
For some reason [obviously though] Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have captured the spotlight for this event in the past seven years and this year will be no different.
Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo has won three of the FIFA Ballon d’Or with Argentina and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi winning four times.
Ronaldo could go par on wins with the Barcelona player tonight but here are five things you need to know before Lionel Messi takes home a fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or award tonight:
Messi was scary in 2015 and Pep Guardiola knows that
Spoiler alert: If James Milner is reading this, he might want to skip this point.
Lionel Messi has over the years produced some sublime skills in his football career. The Barcelona player is endowed with so much football brilliance that fans have to sometimes cover their eyes and pretend some of the things he does is not happening in reality.
The Argentina captain did it in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City, precisely a nutmeg on James Milner that made Pep Guardio go … Well, pictures on the internet speak for themselves.
And against Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng is a topic saved for another day.
Cristiano is a really good goal scorer but …
Of the three final nominees for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo has the most goals. The Portugal captain scored 57 goals in the year under review, eight ahead of Messi and 15 ahead of Neymar.
But considering their all round games for both club and country in 2015, one cannot help but just conclude only goals from Cristiano Ronaldo cannot cut it for a fourth Ballon d’Or win, can it?
Neymar is not yet a finished product
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior will one day win the FIFA Ballon d’Or award but not tonight. The Brazil international is a really good player. He has been in the past few years. But when your shine drops at a point where Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are battling for top spot, you know it’s going to be tough.
Neymar needs a little more time.
Ronaldo will never beat Messi for total number of Ballon d’Or titles
The debate about who was the best player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will live on for years among fans but same cannot be said for who won the most Ballon d’Or.
Messi will always lead. When the Argentine lifts his fifth in Zurich tonight, he will lead Ronaldo by two.
This is not an award that comes every week like an opportunity to go ahead of a scoring chart. Ballon d’Or happens yearly and Critiano Ronaldo is not getting any younger.
In case you haven’t heard, FIFA leaked the winner
Lionel Messi and Celia Sasic will win the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for men and women’s football respectively according to an accidental announcement on FIFA’s official website.
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