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

#2 Messi's late 2018 form

Lionel Messi has been back to his brilliant best during the early stages of the 2018/2019 season

The Ballon d'Or is supposed to be awarded based on individual performances over a full calendar year. In reality, the award is often awarded to the most in-form player from the final months of the year. Memory always tends to favour recent events, and this is the time span where Messi has been at his brilliant best.

Messi endured a difficult World Cup, however, he has been at the peak of his powers since returning from Russia. The Argentine has hit 14 goals in just 13 matches, including 5 in just 2 Champions League appearances.

Messi's late year re-emergence has led many to forget his mixed performances during the first six months of 2018, and Ballon d'Or voters will instead be voting based on his sensational recent outings.