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Michel Platini tips Lionel Messi for Ballon d'Or

Michel Platini backs Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or award for the third consecutive year.

UEFA president Michel Platini believes that Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi will win the Ballon d'Or award for the third consecutive year.

The Argentinian was named on the 23-man shortlist earlier this month and is currently the favourite to be awarded the trophy.

Platini is the only player to have won the Ballon d'Or for three straight years but he has no doubt that Messi will equal his achievement.

"I believe that Messi will win his third Ballon d'Or in a row," he told reporters. "I know that records are meant to be broken and I also believe he will overtake me.

"I arrived at Juve at the age of 27, while Messi arrived at Barca when he was 13. Times have changed.

"If I had grown at Juventus, I would have won even more awards, but my grandparents moved to France and I cannot appeal to any court against this."

The winner will be announced in early January.

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3Real Madrid1283125111427
4Villarreal127322319424
5GironaGirona146352018221
6Mallorca146351312121
7Osasuna136341720-321
8Athletic Bilbao135531913620
9Real BetisBetis145541616020
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19Espanyol133191226-1410
20Real ValladolidValladolid142391027-179


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