Lionel Messi: Is He Really The World's Best Player?

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Lionel Messi was named the player of the year for the second year in a row yesterday but did he really deserve the award?

Sure, he's a great player, no one is denying that, just take a look back at how he ripped Arsenal apart in the Champions League last year if you want a small taste of what he can do when he's on the pitch. However, there were a lot of deserving candidates for the Ballon d'Or this year and in the end, I think Xavi should have won the award.

While Messi is a popular pick, it was Xavi who had the better year. Not only that, when you consider his body of work, he might be a better player all-time than Messi is. Then again, with the two being teammates for Barcelona, you can see why Messi might have overshadowed the rest.

It's hard to argue against a lot of the candidates up for the award and while you could be splitting hairs, I would have gone with Xavi.

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