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.
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