Lionel Messi Favourite to Pip Cristiano Ronaldo to Ballon D'Or, Says Luis Suarez

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez has tipped club teammate Lionel Messi to win the 2014 Ballon d'Or ahead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, citing the pair's respective World Cup performances as the deciding factor.

In Brazil, Messi led his Argentina side to the final in the World Cup while Ronaldo's Portugal were knocked out at the group stage. The third candidate for the Ballon d'Or, Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer, won the competition with Germany.

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Suarez says he understands that his World Cup antics—he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini in a group game—saw him left out of the running for the prestigious award despite his 31 league goals for Liverpool last season.

However, the Uruguayan suggests that if his World Cup performances effected his chances of claiming the Ballon d'Or, the same applies for everyone else, hence why he sees Messi as favourite, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan): 

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For me it is clear: as a teammate I would be delighted for Messi to win, and he is the favourite. I do not know who will win. Neuer is deserving as World Cup winner, he has shown he is a great keeper. The same with Cristiano, everyone knows what he has done and is doing day to day, and he could have a chance. But for me there is no doubt. For the year Leo has had, for the injuries he had and the time he was out, and to still to score those goals, for what he did with Argentina, and for what he is doing, I believe he has done enough to deserve to win.

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Despite Suarez's opinion, some are actually tipping Neuer, and many Ronaldo, to take the award, set to be announced on Jan. 12, ahead of Messi, with 101 Great Goals suggesting the Portuguese is the most deserving candidate of the three:

Indeed, the former Manchester United man has had an extraordinary year at club level with Real, winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey and bagging an incredible 58 goals in 56 games so far in 2014, per Corrigan's piece.

Madrid are currently on a winning run of 18 matches in all competitions in no small part due to Ronaldo's incredible form, and they sit top of La Liga.

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Neuer also has a strong claim to the award after winning the World Cup and becoming arguably the best goalkeeper on the planet. 

However, Messi has often delivered his own superlative performances in 2014 and could well be set to claim the Ballon d'Or once again.

Though the Argentine was left without any major silverware with Barcelona last season—as well as losing in the World Cup final—he did claim the Golden Ball for the Brazil tournament's best player and has already scored 13 La Liga goals this season (having bagged 28 last term), per WhoScored.com. 

There are certainly solid arguments for all three of the final candidates to claim the Ballon d'Or this year, but for Suarez, there is only one winner.