Ballon d'Or 2017 Power rankings - November

#2 Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina)

What more can a 'human' do?

The mere fact that the Ballon d'Or race is still alive, as we approach the end of November, is down to the defiance of one man. Lionel Andres Messi.

Back in August, after a rather forgettable end to their domestic campaign, Barcelona were in shambles. They had lost back-to-back matches against Real Madrid, in which they were played out of the park by Zinedine Zidane's side. On top of that, they had lost Neymar to PSG.

The signs of the decline of Messi's Barcelona were visible to one and all, and pundits and fans alike were quick to write them off. But how do you write off a team with Messi?

Despite the rather shambolic transfer window, The Blaugrana look to be in good shape and have taken a healthy 4-point lead at the top of La Liga, and are unbeaten across all competitions since THAT loss against Real Madrid. It has been the diminutive Argentine who has defied the odds on many occasions and carried his team to safety.

If this was not enough, the 30-year-old also did what he is so often criticized for not doing. He put in one of his best performances for the Argentine national team, that too, when the team and the nation needed him to deliver the most.

Argentina needed a win in their last World Cup qualifier away to Ecuador. A loss or a draw could potentially cost La Albiceleste a place at the premier showpiece in Russia next year. To make things worse, Jorge Sampaoli's side were trailing within the 1st minute of the game.

Argentina were not missing out on the World Cup, not on Messi's watch. He might have failed to have taken them home 3 years ago in Brazil, but he needed one more shot at redeeming himself, and he was not ready to give up.

The fleet-footed forward scored a sensational hat-trick to ensure that Argentina don't miss out on the World Cup, thereby further complicating the Ballon d'Or race.