On Monday evening at the glitzy FIFA Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in Geneva, Barcelona and Argentina forward, Lionel Messi, was named the world’s best footballer for a record fifth time.
Messi Wins 2015 Ballon d’Or
Beating off competition from Barcelona teammate Neymar and arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi reclaimed the award fr the first time since2012.
After a difficult 2014 — blighted by injuries and a World Cup final loss to Germany — Messi has made a sensational return to form in 2015. He has undoubtedly been ‘The Man’ on the Domestic, European and international scenes, winning a second treble in six years with Barcelona. He ended his great 2014-15 season by captaining his country to a Copa America final and getting back to his devastating goal-scoring best.
Despite a knee injury interrupting the second half of 2015, he returned in the autumn Clásico against Real Madrid and helped his team to a 4-0 win. In a year of many magical goals, the highlight was a superb solo effort in the final of the Copa Del Rey against Athletic Bilbao.
Both Neymar and Ronaldo made very credible challenges to Messi with both having an excellent calendar year in 2015.
Ronaldo – now former holder of the Ballon d’Or in 2014 – had broken the Real Madrid all-time La Liga goal-scoring record and on October 17th 2015 finally overtook the legendary Raúl, as the Real Madrid all time goal-scorer. For the second consecutive year he won the Pichichi award in Spain for the league’s top goal-scorer; notching an impressive 48 goals in 35 games at an average of 1.37 goals per game.
Ronaldo’s form has dipped so far in the 2015-16 season. His goal scoring record is still impressive on a statistical level, with eight goals arriving in two consecutive fixtures in September, when scoring five against Espanyol and a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League three days later.
Much of the Neymar’s first season at FC Barcelona in 2013-14 was dominated by headlines regarding the transfer fee paid to ex-club Santos; with public investigations into payments made to the player’s father and endless media speculation regarding his relationship with Messi.
He has now settled into the Catalan rhythm and last year began to show the reason why Barcelona were so willing to do whatever it took to sign him. He ended the season with 39 goals in all competitions, winning the treble along the way. So far this term he has filled the gap left by Messi’s knee injury, demonstrating astonishing pieces of skill along the way. A recent goal against Villarreal is a particular example of the flourishes of panache that Neymar is showing at present.
Messi has the recognition from his peers and International coaches that has culminated in the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or. It is fully deserved and these are no reasons why he cannot mount a credible challenge again in 2016.
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