Carlos Puyol: 'Huge injustice' if Messi doesn't win Ballon d'Or
Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has given his full support to teammate Lionel Messi for the coveted FIFA Ballon d'Or prize, saying it wouldn't be fair to give it to anyone else for 2015.
"You never know what might end up happening, but it would be a surprise and a huge injustice if Messi was not to win the Ballon d'Or,'' Puyol told reporters, as quoted by ESPNFC.
Messi, who guided Barcelona to five major trophies (so far) during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, is nominated for FIFA's top individual accolade alongside fellow Blaugrana star Neymar and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Argentine captain has four Ballon d'Ors to his name, winning the title from 2009 to 2012. However, Ronaldo has walked away with the last two trophies.
Even if Messi doesn't win the 2015 title, Puyol believes it would only be a matter of when, not if, he adds a fifth.
"It will be hard for any other player in the future to win five Ballon d'Ors, and Messi is not going to retire tomorrow so even if he wins (his fifth title) on Monday he can even add more to his name," Puyol said.