Can anyone stop Messi now? Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or dreams surely over following Ajax humiliation

It may seem strange now but there was a time when the Ballon d’Or and the Champions League did not go hand-in-hand.

It’s a connection that Cristiano Ronaldo certainly enjoys, with four of his five wins having come after lifting the European Cup.

Last year, though, the Portuguese was beaten to the prize by his former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric, who thus became the first player other than Ronaldo or Messi to win the Ballon d'Or since Kaka in 2008.

Ronaldo is now facing further disappointment, with new club Juventus having crashed out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.

One has to go all the way back to 2006 to find the last Ballon d'Or recipient not to have at least reached the last four of Europe’s elite competition – and even then, Fabio Cannavaro’s World Cup win meant there were few complaints about his triumph.

Ronaldinho may have lifted the Confederations Cup with Brazil the year before but his only major honour that season was the Liga title.

Still, the forward's 13 goals, 16 assists and iconic skillset helped him claim the ultimate individual prize – despite his Barcelona side being eliminated at the last-16 stage of the Champions League.

That would be the equivalent of Kylian Mbappe winning the 2019 Ballon d’Or with nothing more than a Ligue 1 winners' medal to his name.

Of course, team trophies don't always guarantee Ballon d'Or success. There was uproar when treble-winners Wesley Sneijder and Franck Ribery were overlooked in 2010 and 2013, respectively.

And it is this 'But what has he won?' mentality which still dominates today, which is precisely why Ronaldo’s dream to become the first player to win the accolade six times looks to be over, with Messi in pole position to do exactly that and claim the prize for the first time since 2015.

“Even if he doesn't win the Champions League, Messi already deserves the Ballon d'Or,” Rivaldo said just this week.

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“He has been scoring goals, giving assists and being the top scorer in La Liga for a long time and I think what he has been doing in the Champions League means his merits should be recognised.”

While Ronaldo was knocked out of his favourite competition, Messi turned on the style against Manchester United, scoring twice to set up a semi-final with Liverpool.

“Messi is one of the best players in the world and he brought his A game tonight,” Jesse Lingard conceded post-match, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer adding: “I have to say Lionel Messi is top quality and he was the difference.” 

The brace – his first in the quarter-finals or deeper since a 2015 double against Bayern Munich – makes him the top-scorer in this season’s Champions League, a status he has occupied in La Liga almost all year.

It took him up to 45 goals and 21 assists from 42 games this term, unstoppable statistics that no one in Europe can compete with.

The fact that he is on track to beat Ronaldo to a sixth Ballon d’Or does not come from the Portuguese international simply exiting the Champions League – it comes from the Argentine’s unchallenged supremacy on the continent.

“I’ve not seen anyone better than Messi,” former Barcelona captain Josep Maria Fuste told Radio MARCA. 

“I've always thought that Pele and [Alfredo] Di Stefano set the benchmark, but I think Messi is ahead of those two.”

Of course, the Argentine will still have plenty of competition for the Ballon d’Or.

Should Virgil van Dijk’s formidable defending lead Liverpool to a Premier League and Champions League double, the defender will be firmly in the running – if he isn’t already.

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The Dutchman could also lead the Netherlands to an unlikely UEFA Nations League title too, just one year on from their failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Raheem Sterling, who faces Van Dijk in the summer with England, will contend for the prize given his contributions for Liverpool’s title rivals, Manchester City, though the club’s quarter-final exit in Europe makes him an outsider.

Luis Suarez and Alisson are further contenders, particularly given they – like Messi – will be chasing Copa America glory this year, and Mohamed Salah will look to enhance his chances with this summer’s African Cup of Nations hosts, Egypt.

But the aforementioned attackers – the most successful position in terms of Ballon d’Or wins – cannot compete with Messi’s numbers, and only Suarez can complete a treble on a club scale – and that, largely, is down to his Argentine friend and team-mate.

“My words have run out for Messi and I’ve only worked closely with him for a year,” Barcelona midfielder Carlos Alena told Marca.

“He’s number one, there are no comparisons. They’ve all finished. There are no more Ballons d’Or, nor is he the fifth best in the world.

“People think it's a joke but it's reality. He's the best and he has been for 12 years.”

Whether one agrees with the manner in which the Ballon d’Or is awarded or not, Messi is the front-runner.

His individual brilliance is beyond any other footballer this season, and his achievements will meet the criteria that have developed over the last decade.

Ronaldo will make history this season as the first player to win the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

But his dreams of making Ballon d’Or history have turned a nightmare, with his long-time nemesis ready to beat him to that record sixth win.