Tottenham Hotspur v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Group B
Barcelona icon Lionel Messi takes up the second spot as things stand. The Argentine had one of the best seasons on a personal level but the climax of the season is what could potentially hamper his chances of lifting the coveted trophy.
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Messi enjoyed a fantastic season, scoring 36 La Liga goals in 29 starts for the Catalans and claimed the European Golden Shoe for the third consecutive season.
The 31-year-old finished the UEFA Champions League campaign as the highest goal scorer with a tally of 12. His performances against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United were simply mesmerizing.
The Barcelona ace's chances took a hit when Liverpool humiliated the Spanish giants at Anfield as they won 4-0 to seal the tie 4-3 on aggregate. Meanwhile Barca's no show against Valencia in the Copa Del Rey finals made matters worse.
Lionel Messi's hopes of lifting the Ballon d'Or for the record sixth time lies in the hands of his Copa America camoaign. Argentina are the second favorites to lift the trophy behind Brazil, and if they succeed, Messi would be unstoppable.
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About the author
Samyak Tripathi
Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.
Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!
Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.
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