Messi, 3 others to challenge me for Ballon'Or award - Cristiano Ronaldo
Messi, 3 others to challenge me for Ballon'Or award - Cristiano Ronaldo Despite being the bookmakers' favourite for the 2017 personal awards, the man himself knows he has stiff competition. "Of course it is always going to be a fight between us," he told ESPN during his personal pre-season tour of China. "I'm there along with [Lionel] Messi, Neymar, [Robert] Lewandowski and [Gonzalo] Higuain. "That kind of fighting and competition is healthy and that is what motivates me, being better than them year after year. "The best always try to compete with the best, it keeps you sharp. You know you can never lose focus because others will overtake you