Xavi thinks Neymar is still a few years away from winning the Ballon D'Or

Xavi has named Messi as the clear favourite to win the Ballon D’Or

Barcelona legend Xavi believes that Neymar still has some way to go before he can truly reach the levels of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 35-year-old playmaker can be considered an expert on the subject, having played a couple of seasons with the Brazilian at the Camp Nou.

Neymar has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or along with the two ‘forever-present’ nominees in Messi and Ronaldo. However, Xavi maintains that even this year’s competition will see Messi and Ronaldo battle it out. He feels that Neymar and other top-tier players such as Luis Suarez might have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the Ballon D’Or.

“If Cristiano and Messi are in good shape and they can maintain their standard, I think we’re going to see them both fighting it out at the next few Ballon d’Ors,” he said.

“As for the next few years, we’ll see what kind of standard Messi and Cristiano are at. But other players can come into it too, like Neymar and Suarez. They could easily be in there.

“But for now, Cristiano and Messi are still a cut above. Messi’s still the favourite for me and the best in the world, the best in history in fact, as I’ve said many times.”

Xavi: Messi deserves the Ballon d’Or

The ex-World Cup winner clearly pointed out Messi as the best of the lot. Xavi believes that Messi deserves to win the Ballon D’Or as he had a brilliant last season where he led Barcelona to a treble.

“I think Leo is the clear favourite now, he deserves it too for everything he’s achieved at Barcelona,” he said.

“I’ve said it many times before but there’s no comparison in my book. He has total command of every aspect of the game.

“He’s the best at everything and he shows that in every match. He deserves this Ballon d’Or.”

Messi and Ronaldo have kept the trophy between them for the past seven years. One has to go back as far as 2007, when neither of them laid their hands on the trophy as Kaka won it after a stellar season with AC Milan, but since then the Argentine has claimed it four times and Ronaldo three times, the first of which came when he was at Manchester United.

Messi scored 58 goals last season and provided 26 assists to his teammates. On the other hand, Ronaldo scored 60 goals in 51 appearances and made 21 assists as well. Neymar formed a part of one of the greatest attacking trios ever along with Messi and Suarez, and scored 39 goals last season.