Paris St Germain and Argentina midfielder Javier Pastore has said that he is confident that his fellow countryman Lionel Messi will be able to lift the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for the fourth consecutive time.
The 24-year-old Barcelona superstar is currently in the race with Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammate Iniesta for the coveted award, which is given to the extraordinary individual. There have been reports that Cristiano Ronaldo and Iniesta will be the favourites to win the award given that they have actually been successful in the season, with the former lifting the la Liga title and the latter receiving the Euro 2012 title.
Yet, the 73 goals Lionel Messi scored in all competitions last season is an example of the record that will stand by for many years according to Javier Pastore. He said that this achievement alone will be enough to hand the award to his fellow countryman. The Argentine moved to the French league a few seasons ago as one of the transfer record signings for the French club. He has been largely responsible for the success they achieved last season. With the arrival of AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG are expected to compete even for the Champions League.
"Messi will win the Ballon d’Or. He is the best in the world and he’s getting better and better. The new signings will add to our level, especially Thiago Silva and Ibrahimovic," said the midfielder ahead of the match with Barcelona. The French club will be playing in this friendly match that will take place at the Parc des Princes. Barcelona are expected to dominate in this match and it will be an ideal gauge to see how for the French club have come to matching the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea.
