Lionel Messi is going to run out of records to break soon. The Barcelona and Argentina number 10 became the first player to win the coveted FIFA Ballon D’Or awarded to the best player in the world four times in a row. The award was changed four years ago so, officially it is three in a row, but Messi won the one before as well.
Barcelona have two players in the final shortlist of three for the third FIFA Ballon D’Or award that will be decided in January. Lionel Messi is on course to win it for the third time in a row, while Andres Iniesta and Christiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid are the other two potential winners. Messi is odds on with the bookmakers, while Ronaldo is at 6/1 and Iniesta at 12/1.
The race for the Ballon D’Or is heating up, and almost every player interviewed now is asked who they think should win it. Barcelona and Spain defender, Gerard Pique, is no different and he had not trouble giving his answer as Lionel Messi. Pique insisted that there was no favouritism to a team mate, or lack of appreciation through not playing with a player, as he reminds us that he was a team mate of Christiano Ronaldo when they were at Manchester United.
“I respect those who believe that Christiano Ronaldo deserves the Golden Ball, but I live with Leo and he is an Alien. Christiano is the best of the humans.
Lionel Messi did not train with his Barcelona team mates today, because he was at the hospital with his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo. Antonella is from the same part of Argentina as Messi and she gave birth to their first baby today, a boy who they have named Thiago.
The baby was actually due two weeks ago while Messi was in La Coruna, scoring a hat-trick as Barcelona beat Deportivo in a nine goal thriller. He will be hoping for a smoother ride against Celta Vigo tomorrow, and will dedicate his first goal, if he scores to his son.
It is almost ten years ago that Andres Iniesta made his first team debut for Barcelona in a champion’s league match against Club Bruges. He has stayed at the club and has grown to become one of the best players the world has ever seen. Iniesta has talked about this time and admitted that it has gone beyond his wildest dreams.
“When I stop, all I think is that never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined all that has happened, it’s impossible. My only dream was to play with the elite, for the first team. What has happened is great.”
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