Dani Alves Tips Lionel Messi to Crush Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar in Ballon D'Or

Barcelona full-back Dani Alves has backed his team-mate Lionel Messi to win the 2015 Ballon d’Or award and do so by a considerable margin.

Messi, fellow Blaugrana star Neymar and the reigning champion, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, are the three shortlisted players for the gong, which will be awarded at a FIFA gala in Zurich next month. But Alves feels as though the latter two may as well not turn up given just how impressive Messi has been this year, per TVE (h/t Goal):

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I see Messi winning his fifth Golden Ball—and with a big advantage. He is far ahead of everyone, particularly in the influence he has on the team. The best players in the world do not have to be individualistic.

Our team was strong before Messi's injury but he has come back and proven to be competitive far beyond the other players on the pitch.

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Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

The bookmakers certainly seem to agree with Alves, as Messi is a heavy favourite to complete a quintet of gongs, per Oddschecker.

That’s certainly no surprise given the 2015 the Argentina man has enjoyed. Admittedly, on the international front things could have been better, with the Albiceleste losing in the final of the Copa America to Chile; it was their second major final defeat in the space of 12 months. But for Barcelona, Messi has been sensational:

Alves is a player who has helped influence the forward’s upturn in form in 2015. Luis Enrique stationed Messi on the right flank at the start of the year, with Luis Suarez central and Neymar on the left. The full-back's willingness to work the channels facilitated plenty of space for the Barca No. 10, in which he has naturally thrived.

As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJose, the pair have long been a critical part of the Barcelona creative axis:

Suarez and Neymar have each been wonderful in 2015, helping the Blaugrana to a clean sweep of major trophies at the end of the 2014-15 term. However, Messi’s mercurial influence, whether that be key goals, sumptuous assists or mazy dribbling, turns Barcelona from a great football team into a force of nature.

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Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez actually feels as though the closest challenger to Messi’s mantle as the top man isn’t on the shortlist:

Neymar, in fairness, has arguably been the best player in European football this season and was key to Barcelona winning the treble last season, while Ronaldo has been a consistent goalscorer in an underachieving Real side. But neither has been quite as consistent as Messi, and as Alves noted, that’ll likely see him clinch this award.

While these individual accolades don’t seem to mean quite that much to Messi, it’ll be a proud moment clinching a quintet of titles. To be among the finest two players on the planet for almost a decade is an indication of the staggering consistency he has showcased at the Camp Nou.