Neymar calls Cristiano Ronaldo as Ballon d’Or award favorite

Neymar calls Cristiano Ronaldo as Ballon d’Or award favorite

The winner of the next Ballon d’Or award won’t be final for another six months. Although, Neymar is pretty sure about who it’ll be.

Neymar calls Cristiano Ronaldo as Ballon d’Or award favorite

Neymar has picked Cristiano Ronaldo over Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi. Neymar calls Cristiano Ronaldo as the favorite to win the 2016 Ballon d’Or. The award is a significant one which is the highest individual honor a player can win.

“Ronaldo won the Champions League and now Euro 2016 as well,” Neymar was quoted as telling a Brazilian media outlet. “So I believe he is in a good position. Plus, Ronaldo is a great player. I have no qualms in saying that.”

It seems to be a flaw in the award that it’s already prominent who will win it. Half of the time period for judgement still remains. But Neymar does have a point: With a Champions League trophy and a European Championship trophy in the bag, how can anyone possibly challenge Ronaldo’s year?

Neymar was up against Ronaldo and Messi last year, but came in third. Messi won his fifth Ballon d’Or. Ronaldo has won the award for three times for 2008, 2013 and 2014.

Neymar will be one of the three over-23 players each nation is allowed to add to their roster. The other two are 38-year-old Palmeiras goalkeeper Fernando Prass and 28-year-old Beijing Guoan midfielder Renato Augusto, who have far less international experience than Neymar.

Without the experienced coach by his side, Neymar will carry the fate of the team. Furthermore, the striker can become a national legend if he wins the gold, or join a long list of stars — Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, among others — who have failed in the same challenge.