Lionel Messi's next aim can be 500 career goals

With a fifth world player of the year award safely tucked away in the trophy cabinet, Lionel Messi can set his sights on one of the next milestones in his remarkable career: reaching 500 goals for club and country.


The Barcelona and Argentina forward can add to his jaw-dropping tally of 479 in 609 official games -- 430 for Barca and 49 for his national team -- in Sunday's La Liga match at home to Athletic Bilbao.

The 28-year-old from Rosario, who picked up the FIFA Ballon d'Or on Monday January 11,2016, is looking close to his best following a two-month injury layoff late last year and netted a hat-trick when second-placed Barca crushed Granada 4-0 at the Nou Camp last weekend in their most recent outing in Spain's top flight tournament.

  Lionel Messi seal a record of 5th Ballon d’Or award.

He beat rivals Brazil/Barcelona Neymar and Portugal/Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo.

The award was voted by all National team coaches and approved Journalists

The votes for the Ballon d’OR came from 165 national team coaches, 162 national team captains and 171 media representatives

Lionel Messi took top spot with 41.33% , ahead of Ronaldo with 27.76 %. Neymar finished in third with just 7.86 %

 

2015 has been  a remarkable year for Messi, who helped Barca win a 23rd Spanish championship at Ronaldo and Real's expense and five trophies overall.

He scored 52 goals in 61 games as Barca also won the Spanish Cup and the European Champions League in the 2014-15 season.

The nameplates of the finalists for FIFA's Ballon d'Or: Barcelona's Argentine forward Lionel Messi, Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar and Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

A look at the finalists:

Ballon d’Or

Lionel Messi: After leading Barcelona to wins in La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Champions League — the first time any club has completed a treble twice — and with 52 goals to his name in 2015, the five-foot-seven maestro is the favourite to win a record fifth Ballon d’Or at age 28.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Last year’s winner was no slouch in 2015, topping La Liga’s scoring list with a personal best 48 goals. That tally helped the 30-year-old become Real Madrid’s all-time leading scorer in his sixth season with the club. But a lack of silverware this year hurts his odds.

Neymar: Just 23 years old and already one of the best players in the world, Messi’s Barcelona teammate is one to watch for years to come. His 39 goals in the squad’s treble-winning season may see him usurp Ronaldo in second place, but putting the Brazilian ahead of their team’s Argentine leader is a tough sell.

Women’s World Player of the Year

Carli Lloyd: The American, 33, scored three goals in the opening minutes of the Women’s World Cup final this year to seal the coveted trophy for the United States. More than that, she proved herself a team leader as legendary striker Abby Wambach prepared to close the door on her career. Anything but a Lloyd victory would be a surprise.

Celia Sasic: This is Sasic’s last chance at the award; she announced her retirement in July at age 27. She won player of the year honours in Germany and Europe, and the Golden Boot award at the Women’s World Cup, but her country’s fourth-place finish at the tournament put a damper on an otherwise exceptional year.

Aya Miyama: The 30-year-old Japanese midfielder is an all-time great in the women’s game, having orchestrated her country’s attack for four Women’s World Cups. She was named to the tournament’s all-star team this year but her consistency is unlikely to be enough to propel her past Lloyd’s glorious 11-minute hat trick

Past Ballon d'Or winners
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo	2008: Cristiano Ronaldo
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo	2007: Kaka
2012: Lionel Messi	2006: Fabio Cannavaro
2011: Lionel Messi	2005: Ronaldinho
2010: Lionel Messi	2004: Andriy Shevchenko
2009: Lionel Messi	2003: Pavel Nedved

La Liga 2015-16 Season
 
Lionel Messi has 9  goals in 13 La Liga games this 2015-16 season, 6 behind leading marksmen and Barca teammates Neymar and Luis Suarez, who have 15 in 16 and 17 appearances respectively