The Golden Ball that Luka Modric took this Monday was the most fought of the last years. Accustomed to the Leo / Cristiano duo, in this edition many players made merits to opt for the prize. There were opinions for all tastes. The French World Champions Griezmann, Varane and Mbappé. Top strikers such as Kane, Neymar, Benzema, Salah and the extraterrestrials who are one step above all the other Ronaldo and Messi.

The disputed fight over the golden ball has awakened all the lovers of Messi when the Argentine was out of the podium. It is true. He won by himself three-quarters of the Barcelona League last season, he has been again Pichichi and Bota de Oro, Leo has played 50 games in which he has scored 45 goals and has given 23 assists. Incomparable numbers.

Pablo Machín, coach of Sevilla, has been quite categorical at noon on this Tuesday when he was asked about the election of Luka Modric as the winner of the Golden Ball awarded by FIFA. “Modric, for me, is not the best player in the world, nor the most decisive. From my point of view, there is a player who is better than Modric, but I also understand that you have to refresh everything”, he said, referring to the range of prizes that Messi has in his showcases.

For Machín and all the Catalans, the Barça player is more deserving than the Croatian: “Messi is one step above Modric, for example. But there are many others who would be on the same step as Modric, who in any case seems to be a great footballer”.

Messi is a great player but only with Barcelona and the Golden Ball awards everything, participation in clubs and national teams. When Messi gets the “albiceleste” and goes out to defend his country, he is one of the bunch.