Ballon d'Or 2019: Football personalities who have already named their favourites for this year's award

Modified Apr 23, 2019 11:43 GMT

#4 Jose Mourinho (Lionel Messi)

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid manager has pegged Lionel Messi to win this year's Ballon d'Or owing to his scintillating season and the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer in the UEFA Champions League.

Juventus crashed out of the European competition after facing defeat at the hands of a young Ajax side in their quarter-final fixture. Meanwhile, Barcelona progressed to the semi-finals of the competition after registering a thumping win over Mourinho's former club Manchester United.

Mourinho told Russia Today (via Marca), "Messi is having a phenomenal season and, with Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo out of this fight, he knows that the Ballon d'Or is there waiting for him."

On the Champions League favourites this season, the Portuguese said, "I would say they [Barcelona] are a bit more of a favourite than Liverpool, but I also think it's 50-50."

Edited by Nishant Jayaram