The Ballon d'Or seems to be Cristiano Ronaldo's for the taking. He won the Champions League and Euro 2016, playing vital parts in each victory.

But Lionel Messi, despite not having a monster year to date could still win the coveted prize.

End of year run

While the big tournaments undeniably have a huge impact on the voting, there are still four or five months left for Barcelona's talisman to make an impact. Afterall, Ronaldo won his 2013 trophy on the back of a strong finish to the year; the same could almost be said of his 2014 win as well with the superstar closing out the year with close to 30 goals down the stretch. Likewise, Messi's record-breaking final months of 2012 ensured that he took the prize over Ronaldo, who had a stellar trophy-winning year for his club and a solid performance in the Euro 2012.


Messi could reap a similar benefit for his club and country, particularly because he can still win a trophy before ending the season and, barring injury, could be in the driver's seat for the first few months of the year.

Ronaldo injury could hurt his form

Ronaldo is currently out injured and might miss up to one or two months depending on his recuperation. But even then, there is no way of knowing that the Real Madrid star was return in optimal form. If Messi and Barcelona come out on fire to open the 2016-17 season and build a substantial lead in the tournament, then it is feasible that Messi could take back the prize.

Argentina Return?

Messi could also make his return to Argentina in the fall qualifiers, have a major impact and suddenly be a media darling all over again. Never underestimate how much of a popularity contest the Ballon d'Or.

Vote Splitting with other Candidates

And who isn't to say that someone else could tip the scales away from Ronaldo? Antoine Griezmann, Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and even Neymar are all capable of garnering sufficient votes that any major lead Ronaldo could have might be shut down in the slightest. If Neymar wins the Olympic gold, suddenly he might have a chance to steal votes that could help Messi in his quest to win his sixth Ballon d'Or.

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