I hope for a final three Ballon d’Or shortlist of Suarez, Neymar & I - Messi Mocks CR7

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi hopes the final three players in this year’s Ballon d’Or are himself, Neymar and Luis Suarez, as per Marca.

Messi scored twice on his return to the Barcelona starting XI on Tuesday night as they defeated AS Roma 6-1 in the Champions League.

The victory in Group E secured their passage to the knockout stage, reinforcing how the Spanish side have dominated in Europe.

For the past decade, Barca have been a powerhouse and Messi has been a constant in that success. This year, his two partners in attack have contributed greatly.

Luis Suarez, signed from Liverpool last summer, and Neymar have been instrumental alongside arguably football’s greatest ever player.

All three are in contention for this year’s Ballon d’Or. Messi’s the favourite, but he hopes they will all feature in the final trio of places.

“I’m not sure if this is one of the keys to the team’s success, but it is true we get on really well and try to enjoy every game we play,” said Messi, when asked about the on-field chemistry between Neymar, Suarez and himself.

“We try to do things well, we like to play, we feel a responsibility and we like to win. We get along,” he continued, before then being asked if the aforementioned trio will occupy the final three slots on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.

“I hope so [that we’re all in the top three], but it’s not something that we are going to obsess over. I’m sure they think the same way,” he replied.

The Argentina international has won the award a record four times while Suarez and Neymar are still searching for their first.

The latter is currently La Liga’s top scorer and has been tipped to dominate the European scene. He’s set to pick up many votes, but Cristiano Ronaldo is a favourite too.

Neymar scored 39 goals in all competitions last season as Barcelona won the Champions League, Copa del Rey and La Liga.