Portugal great and former FIFA world player of the year Luis Figo said that in all likelihood a player from Barcelona will be the 2015 Ballon d’Or winner, although he didn’t rule out his compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid forward Ronaldo has won the award for the past two years, with Barcelona star Lionel Messi winning it for each of the four years previous to that. And with Ronaldo named in 2008 too, one of the pair has been voted the best player in the world on the last seven occasions. Messi’s Barcelona teammate, Neymar, completes the three-man shortlist for the 2015 award.
Despite overtaking Raul to become Madrid’s all-time top goal scorer, Ronaldo is seen as second favourite to make it three victories in a row with the club earning no silverware in 2015, other than the Spanish Super Cup. Barcelona had one of their most successful seasons in 2015, with La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League wins.
Ronaldo has scored more goals than any other player in all competitions in 2015 in Europe’s top five leagues, and Figo believes that tally could give him the edge in the ballot.
“They are three magnificent players,” the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner told Spanish news agency Efe. “If the logic about how trophies go to winning teams prevails, the trophy will be for a Barcelona player. But if those who vote single out individual numbers, such as goals scored, Ronaldo could win.”
Ronaldo has scored 21 goals thus far this season to add to his 66 from for club and country from the whole of last term. Messi, has scored 14 times in a campaign disrupted by injury after netting 62 last season. Neymar has scored 18 since the summer after registering 48 in 2014-15. Figo said he feels there aren’t any other players on the level of Ronaldo and Messi.
“I like very much [PSG’s Marco] Verrati, Neymar and Douglas Costa [Bayern Munich], but I think Ronaldo and Messi are a step ahead of everyone else,” he said.
The vote for the award will be made by the captains and head coaches of each men’s national team as well as by international media representatives selected by French publication France Football.
The FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala takes place in Zurich on Jan 11, 2016.
