3 Players Who Can Stop Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from winning the Ballon d'Or this year

#1. Mohamed Salah

Liverpool v West Ham United - Premier League — Mohamed Salah is a strong contender for the award

There is no better candidate to stop the Messi-Ronaldo dominance at the moment than Liverpool winger, Mohamed Salah. While it might not be wrong to claim that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were far above other superstars last season, the same cannot be said of the Egyptian superstar.

In his first year at the Anfield, the attacker took his game to an unbelievable height, tearing opposition defenses apart and racking up plenty number of goals. He bagged an amazing 32 goals and 10 assists in the English top flight as well as 10 goals and 4 assists in the UEFA Champions League.

This implies that he scored more goals than Ronaldo in the domestic league (26) and Lionel Messi in the European tournament (6). He also performed on the big stage, helping The Reds to overcome the likes of Porto, Manchester City and Roma on their way to the final of the Champions League.

If Salah maintains his amazing form until the end of the calendar year, he will definitely have the chance to dethrone the incredible duo on top of the football world. The World Cup also serves as another chance for the Egyptian to put an end to the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly. If he succeeds in upsetting the odds and leads his nation to the World Cup triumph, nothing on earth can stop him from winning the Ballon d'Or.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Anirudh Menon