Ballon d’Or 2015: Stats show Lionel Messi topping Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi is the favourite to win the 2015 Ballon d’Or award – and one look at the Barcelona superstar’s stats shows why.

The three most talented footballers battle it out for the highest individual accolade on Monday and, as this infographic from daily fantasy football site Football Fanager shows, this has been the year of Messi yet again.

His scoring has been emphatic, sharing top spot with old rival Cristiano Ronaldo for goals and beating both the Portuguese and third competitor Neymar on assists.

Messi, who has come second to Ronaldo in the running for the Ballon d’Or in the last two years, scored 48 goals and made 24 assists for his team-mates. He found the net at a rate of 0.86 goals per game and also had an impressive shot conversion rate of 21.4 per cent.

Despite scoring less than his rivals, Brazilian Neymar has also been deadly in front of goals this season, topping the shot conversion rate. With all three players having a stellar year, who will come out on top?

Ronaldo has won the last two editions of the Ballon d’Or, ending Messi’s four-year hold on the award, which his regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in world football.

The winner of the Ballon d’Or 2015 will be announced at a gala in Zurich on 11 January.

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, Barcelona coach Luis Enrique Martínez and Chile manager Jorge Sampaoli have been nominated for the men’s world coach of the year award.