When Lionel Messi was ranked fifth in last year’s Ballon d’Or, he was just as classy as he was in his response as he is, too, on the field.

He told Diario Sport, “It is always the case in football that the team collective is more important than the individual.”

And absolutely anyone who has watched his game this season would suggest that the snub last season really started a fire in his belly, with his incredible form having allowed the Catalans, Barcelona to cruise to a second successive Liga title – not to mention the final of the Copa del Rey, and the last four of the Champions League.

The Argentine, Messi, turns 32 in the summer, however, he’s showing zero signs of slowing down, with 34 goals and 15 assists putting him top of both charts in La Liga.

Messi may have suggested that he misses the competition of Cristiano Ronaldo, with his former Real Madrid rival having moved to Juventus last summer, but the Portuguese’s departure clearly hasn’t affected Messi’s motivation at all.

The Barcelona skipper has aided his side dominate La Liga race from beginning to ending – the Catalans have been top since week 14.

Messi himself is set to bag the Trofeo Pichichi for the third season in a row, with Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema, on 21 goals, some way behind his tally of 34.

In the race for the European Golden Shoe, his only real competition is Kylian Mbappe, who has 30 strikes.

“It is always important to improve individually, but this is in light of the collective,” Messi said earlier this season.

“It is only important if you can help your team and be more successful on the pitch.”

The 5-1 win against Madrid in October was a turning point in the season, even at that early point in the season.

“[Messi] is the best in the world, always a plus,” Suarez said after the win, in which he scored Barcelona’s first non-Messi hat-trick in the Clasico since Romario.

“But what we’ve done is shown the level of football this team is capable of. We’re behind the manager and we love the club.”