Messi collected his record fifth Ballon d’Or title at Zurich on Sunday and has enjoyed tremendous success since his family relocated from Argentina to Barcelona with him as a 13-year-old.
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While Portugal hitman Ronaldo scored more goals than Messi during 2015, netting 54 for Madrid, it was not enough for his side to win any silverware.
“It’s incredible this is my fifth”, he added.
Messi helped Barca win the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Cup last season.
Barca and Real dominated the team of the year as well with four players each, including Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.
“You never know what can happen, but it would be a big surprise and injustice if Messi didn’t win the Ballon d’Or”, Puyol told Barcelona’s official website.
Initially started as the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1991, it became known as the Ballon d’Or after merging with France Football’s European footballer of the year award in 2010.
“Yeah; play better”, Neymar said.
Neymar, who has come into his own over the past year, finished third in the voting behind victor Lionel Messi and Ronaldo on Monday.
Messi said he believes Argentina will win a major global trophy soon after failing in the finals of the World Cup in 2014 and Copa America in 2015.
“It is hard to imagine another player winning five Ballon d’Ors, but, moreover, Leo Messi will not retire tomorrow and if he wins on Monday and continues like that, he can win more”.
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo voted for each other in their respective top threes, with the former choosing a trio of Barca team-mates in Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta, and Ronaldo also selecting three club colleagues in Karim Benzema, James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale.
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“The years pass and he just gets better”.
