Lionel Messi would've won the Ballon d’Or this year with Ronaldo not even in Top 3: Stats

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that the Ballon d’Or 2020 ceremony will not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic. It would be the first time that the Ballon d'Or ceremony would be cancelled ever since its inauguration in 1956. However, according to stats from this season, Barcelona captain Lionel Messi appears to have been robbed of his seventh Ballon d'Or.

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Who would win Ballon d'Or 2020? Robert Lewandowski Ballon d'Or favourite?

According to match ratings from WhoScored, Lionel Messi was the top-performing player in all of Europe's top five leagues and by some considerable margin. Strangely enough, Juventus ace Cristiano Ronaldo didn't even make to the top three list. Although Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are having good seasons by their standards, Bayern Leverkusen hitman Robert Lewandowski was tipped as one the favourites to win the prestigious award. Despite no Ballon d'Or ceremony this year, here's a look at the potential candidates that were in line to win the Ballon d'Or:

1. Lionel Messi - 8.71

The six-time Balon d'Or winner became the first player to score 20 goals and register another 20 assists in one LaLiga campaign. Lionel Messi was the top scorer in LaLiga with 25 goals to his name. Last season's Ballon d'Or winner did nothing wrong to defend his honour. 

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2. Kylian Mbappe - 8.14

In a shortened Ligue 1 campaign, Kylian Mbappe was once again the standout player for PSG. The 21-year old was the top scorer in the French top tier with 18 goals. Mbappe will also be looking to bring the elusive UCL trophy to the French capital next month. 

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3. Robert Lewandowski - 8.13

Robert Lewandowski was the bookies favourite to win the Ballon d'Or 2020 after another prolific campaign with Bayern Munich. The big Pole scored 34 goals in 31 appearances and is leading the race for the European Golden boot. Lewandowski has never won a Ballon d'Or and the cancellation of the Ballon d'Or 2020 ceremony comes as a big blow for the 31-year-old.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo - 7.91

Having won the Ballon d'Or five times, Ronaldo will be itching to for that sixth award to go level with Lionel Messi. The Portuguese star has scored 30 times in 30 Serie A games to put Juventus on the cusp of winning the Scudetto. The 35-year-old became the first player to score 30 goals in a single season in three of Europe's top five leagues.

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5. Kevin de Bruyne - 7.88

Although Man City failed to keep up with Liverpool in the Premier League, Kevin de Bruyne has enjoyed another exceptional campaign. The Belgian playmaker is on track to break the Premier League assists record, just one away from Thierry Henry's tally of 20. Having crashed out of the FA Cup, Kevin de Bruyne is bound to turn his attention towards unfinished business in the UCL. 

Image Credits - Leo Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe Instagram