With 13 victories apiece, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are now the two most successful professional football players in terms of the “golden ball” award. Messi holds the record for the gong, having won it an amazing eight times in his distinguished career.

This came after the 37-year-old’s victory with Argentina in the 2022 World Cup, where he finally won the biggest title in world football.

A number of elite players, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Kylian Mbappe, are already competing for the coveted title in the 2024 edition of the award following an outstanding 2023–24 season.

With 13 Ballon d’Ors between them, Messi and Ronaldo are nearing the end of their remarkable careers and making room for a new wave of brilliance.

Despite never having won the Ballon d’Or, Neymar feels he knows who the future contenders are, having placed third in both 2015 and 2017.

Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid is Neymar’s choice to win the Ballon d’Or this year.

In addition, he sees Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo, two of Vinicius’s colleagues, drawing a share of the second position. Kylian Mbappe, who is expected to sign a free transfer with Real Madrid this summer, is another formidable opponent.

According to Bola VIP via Sportbible, Neymar stated:

“Vini Júnior, first; Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham are tied, and obviously Mbappé enters the fight between those three.”

Real Madrid’s talent is evident in Neymar’s selections, which bode well for the team’s supremacy in Spain and Europe the next season.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or will be presented at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on October 28. Only Luka Modric and Karim Benzema have been able to end the Messi-Ronaldo hegemony since 2007, when Kaka emerged victorious, highlighting the players’ influence on world football in the last fifteen years.

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Who will win the 2021 Ballon d’Or? Is he Lionel Messi? or the current best player Robert Lewandowski is going to lift it? Maybe Cristiano Ronaldo would surpass everyone in this race.

We will know the winner of the prestigious award in November. As for now, this article will tell you about the main difference between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they collect an award.

In a video clip, Ronaldo and Modric greeted with tepid applause while the reaction to Messi was much more enthusiastic.

The Argentinian legend received a standing ovation in moving footage that sees the likes of Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp on their feet to pay tribute to the Barcelona superstar.

This is how the football fans differentiate Ronaldo and Messi in a way. The debate between the two legends will stand till the end of their careers.

Sometimes it’s not only the matter of trophies but the respect that the upcoming generation will be giving to these two.

Also Read: All-Time Ballon d’Or winners

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