Ballon d'Or 2018: 5 Reasons Lionel Messi will win

#3 It could be the last time to acknowledge Messi's brilliance

Lionel Messi may soon be replaced at the top of football by emerging young players such as Mbappe

Messi is a five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, however, he has won it just once in the last five years. The Argentine has largely been overlooked due to the prolific form of Cristiano Ronaldo, and 2018 may, in fact, represent the last time that Messi can realistically win the award.

The Barcelona star turned 31 over the summer and the Argentine struggled to find his best form for large periods of 2018. He has recently hit a purple patch again, however, Messi is likely to decline over the next few years due to his agility and speed fading as he ages.

The much younger Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are narrowing the gap every year, so it may be now or never for Messi to win the Ballon d'Or.