The Ballon d’Or is the biggest award that a soccer player can win. It’s what players dream about achieving. For the last eight years the award has been given to two players. Those two players are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two best players in the world. Endless debates have been made about who is the best. But this year the Ballon d’Or is going to be Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 46 goals and had 16 assists in 2016. Lionel Messi had 52 goals and had 32 assists, so Messi has Ronaldo by very little in personal stats, but in accomplishments, Ronaldo simply knocked Messi out of the park.

In 2016 Ronaldo won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award, the UEFA Euro 2016 with his country Portugal, the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid, Facebook FA La Liga Player of the Year, and The Facebook FA La Liga Best Striker, while Lionel Messi only won his team the league title and came 3rd in the running for the top goal scorer of La Liga behind Ronaldo and Luis Suarez.

Again, even though Messi nearly beats Ronaldo with stats. Ronaldo has accomplished so much individually and for his country and club this season by winning two of the biggest competitions in the world: the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Euro 2016, proving that the Ballon d’Or winner for this year will be Cristiano Ronaldo.