Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has admitted that Real Madrid star winger Cristiano Ronaldo is the favorite to win next year’s Ballon d’Or. However, also added that despite the Portugal captain having the upper hand in the race for the most coveted individual award for every footballer on the planet, he would still vote for his former teammate Lionel Messi.
Cristiano had a fulfilling year in his footballing career in 2016 – he steered his country Portugal to Euro 2016 glory by beating hosts France in the finals. Prior to that historic success, a first of its kind, the 31-year-old had also won the UEFA Champions League with his club Real Madrid after beating rivals Atletico Madrid in Milan.
Messi, on the other hand, won the domestic league title with Barcelona and also bagged the Copa del Rey but failed to steer his country, Argentina, to Copa America Centenario victory in the USA. The Argentines fell to rivals Chile in the finals of the competition for the second consecutive time and the legendary player, out of frustration, opted to quit international football. He later reversed the decision but according to analysts, it had given his rival Ronaldo a higher rating.
Watch Xavi’ interview below:
The Spanish midfielder spent 18 years with the Catalan giants. He won the league title eight times, Copa del Rey thrice, Supercopa de Espana six times, Champions League four times, the Super Cup twice and the FIFA Club World Cup twice.
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