Barcelona centre-back backs Lionel Messi to win Ballon d’Or: “He will always be the best”

The current Barcelona setup unsurprisingly has a fair few players that have grown up idolising and dreaming to play with a certain Lionel Messi.

While several, like Ronald Araujo, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, have had a chance to share the pitch with him, most of the squad did not given he left the team on a free transfer in 2021.

The Argentine is now closing in on his historic 8th Ballon d’Or, with the ceremony set to take place on 30th October. Several big names in the footballing industry have already backed him to win it, including Thierry Henry and Pep Guardiola, among others.

Ronald Araujo has also spoken on it now, suggesting that as long as Messi is playing football, he will be the best player in the world.

“I hope Messi wins the Ballon d’Or. I think he deserves it, because he is the best player in the world and he will always be the best. I have always said it. He is amazing,” the Uruguayan said about his former teammate, as quoted by TNT Brazil (h/t BarcaCentre).

Araujo debuted for the senior Barcelona team in 2019 against Sevilla, coming off the bench in the 73rd minute only to be red-carded 14 minutes later for a last-man foul. He has since cemented the role of a starter in the team and one of the most important players.

Who rounds off the Ballon d’Or podium?

Messi is joined by former teammate Kylian Mbappe, and Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland on the Ballon d’Or podium this year.

The Frenchman put in an incredible shift all through the season, and was also among the best players at the World Cup, scoring a hattrick in the final.

As for the Norweigan, Haaland won the treble with Man City, and ended up scoring more than 50 goals.

However, Leo’s historic World Cup winning campaign, which included a brace in the final and five man of the match awards in seven games means he is the favourite to win the award.