Xavi would vote for Messi, Ribéry and Ronaldo for the Ballon dor

The Ballon d’Or has become a huge talking point and will continue to be one until the winner is announced early next year. The latest person to offer his opinion on the award was Xavi in sports daily 'Sport'. The Barça midfielder cannot vote because that job will fall to Casillas as the Spanish national team’s captain. However, Xavi revealed who he would vote for: 1st Messi, 2nd Ribéry and 3rd Cristiano Ronaldo. He went on to explain: "Leo has won the award for four straight years and that could harm his chances in the voting. If we look at the best player in the world, that is Messi, end of argument. However, if we’re talking about the best player of 2013, then I admit there is room for debate."