Ballon d'Or 2018: Ranking the top 5 contenders based on their performances during the year

#2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was the most consistent performer across all domestic leagues in Europe

He might not have won any of both the UEFA and FIFA Player Of The Year awards recently but Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi remains one of the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or accolade this year as far as performances are concerned.

The Argentine was without a doubt the most prolific attacker across all European domestic leagues last season, bagging a whopping 34 goals and 12 assists in 36 La Liga appearances to claim both the Pichichi trophy and the European Golden Shoe during the campaign.

The winger finished the season with an impressive 44 goals and 18 assists in 52 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions and he stepped up for his nation once again, dragging La Albiceleste from behind and scoring a fantastic hat-trick against Ecuador to seal a vital 3-1 victory that ensured Argentina made it into the FIFA World Cup in Russia.