Ballon d’Or 2016: Seven reasons why Lionel Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo as race for awards hot up
Real Madrid and Barcelona superstars have dominated top honours for nearly a decade — and show no signs of stopping
CRISTIANO RONALDO is red-hot favourite to win both the Ballon d’Or and Fifa ‘The Best’ awards this season.
Real Madrid won the Champions League and Portugal won Euro 2016.
While Lionel Messi, vying for a record-extending six Ballon d’Or awards, was part of the Barcelona team which won a league and cup double — and played a starring role as Argentina reached the Copa America final.
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The likelihood is that one of the two will again win the award.
And here are seven reasons why Messi is the best player in the world.
Start to this season
DESPITE breaking records almost every game, Messi has enjoyed the best start to a season in his entire career.
There a brief disruption through injury, but he has still managed to score 16 goals in just 14 games.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, still appears to be recovering from the injury he suffered in the Euro 2016 final with just seven in 12.
Messi averages 1.14 goals per game, while the Real Madrid ace nets 0.58.
Trophy magnet
MESSI made his Barcelona debut in 2004 — and there have just been two trophyless seasons since.
Only in the 2006-07 and 2013-14 seasons did he fail to gain a medal.
In 2008, Barcelona won nothing, but Messi was part of the Argentina side which won the Olympic gold.
In total, he has won a staggering eight La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, four Spanish Cups, seven Spanish Super Cups, three Uefa Super Cups and three Fifa World Club Cups for his club.
Bigger individual impact at international tournament this summer
YES, Ronaldo was part of the team which won it, but actually played better on international duty?
The Real Madrid man netted three times in France — two against Hungary and one against Wales — and his tournament ended 25 minutes into the final after a heavy challenge from Dimitri Payet.
Messi, meanwhile, netted five times and broke the broke the Argentina goal scoring record goal scoring record en route to the final.
Like Ronaldo, he impacted negatively on the final — on the Portuguese players bailed their man out.
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Assists
GOALS win matches — but what happens before the ball goes in the back of the net?
Well, Messi edges Ronaldo out in that area, too.
The Argentine has created seven goals for his team-mates to the Real Madrid man’s five.
Messi has actually been directly involved in more goals (23) than anyone else in Europe.
Does it in biggest games
EVEN since his Manchester United days, it has been levelled at Ronaldo that he disappears on the biggest occasions.
Ronaldo has won two Champions Leagues during his time in Spain, but his influence in the finals has been minor.
Messi, meanwhile, has played in three, scored in two and had a major impact in every single one.
In El Clasico clashes, the Argentine has 21 goals and 13 assists to Ronaldo’s 16 and two.
Messi shines in better teams
MANY critics point out that Barcelona are better than Real Madrid, and yet Ronaldo still seems to shine.
But this only further emphasises Messi’s greatness.
He is constantly the best player what is generally considered the wonderfully assembled team of all time.
Even at international level, Messi shines in above better team-mates than Ronaldo has with Portugal.
That performance against Sevilla
BARCELONA travelled to the Sanchez-Pizjuan on the back of a dismal defeat to Manchester City.
And Sevilla, who were flying high in La Liga, dominated the visitors, and deservedly took an early lead.
But Messi inspired Barca’s comeback with an equaliser just before half-time.
He then put it one of his most influential displays in recent years to help secure an impressive three points.