Lionel Messi reckons Neymar and Luis Suarez should get Fifa Ballon D’Or nod ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo
LIONEL MESSI reckons his Barcelona pals Neymar and Luis Suarez should leave Cristiano Ronaldo out of the Fifa Ballon D’Or party.
It was a stinging snub to his Real Madrid rival and actual Ballon D’Or holder from Messi who is certain to pick up his fifth Fifa gong in January.
Messi said: “I hope in the podium in the Ballon D’Or we are together Luis Suarez, Neymar and I.”
The four-time Ballon d’Or nabbed a brace in his first start after a two-month injury lay-off and led Barca to a 6-1 win over Roma.
He said: “My injury was long in the end. I had such desire to get back to feel this, to get back playing.
“But I was also enjoying watching the team from the outside.”
Barca’s stonking win over the Italians came three days after they destroyed Ronaldo and Madrid by running out 4-0 winners at the Bernabeu.
Messi came on as a second-half sub in his first appearance since getting injured in September.
He said: “We are playing really well, but we’ve still go a long way to go, there’s a long time before the end of the season.
“We still have very important things ahead like the Club World Cup and I hope we can keep up this level.
“I feel well, getting back slowly as is normal after an injury.
“I’m getting more minutes on the pitch and more confidence, and getting myself in shape physically. I’m happy to have played 90 minutes.”
Messi’s friendship with Neymar and former Liverpool ace Suarez is considered one of the keys of Barca’s current success.
He said: “I don’t know if it’s one of the keys for the success of the team but it’s true that we get on brilliantly and we try to enjoy it together every time we play a game.
“We try and do things well, we like playing, we have a responsibility and we like to win. We get on really well.” –The Sun.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter on @FingazLive and on Facebook – The Financial Gazette