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#2 He might lose to Virgil van Dijk in the Ballon d'Or race
This year could be Messi's best chance to claim his 6th Ballon d'Or. He was the top goalscorer of last season's Champions League and La Liga, and Cristiano Ronaldo did not even come close to him. Unfortunately, everybody knows that van Dijk will be Messi's greatest threat in the Ballon d'Or race this time.
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The Dutch star has cemented his reputation as Europe's best defender after Liverpool's Champions League triumph. Van Dijk also captained the Netherlands and successfully led his national team to the UEFA Nations League final.
No player dribbled past the imposing 27-year-old in both the Premier and Champions League last season. Hence, Messi should demand no less than a Copa America title, if he wants to stand a chance against the Liverpool star in the Ballon d'Or race.
However, Messi will still have a mountain to climb even if he wins the Copa, as he was unable to record a convincing performance during the group stage of the competition.
