Indian Super League franchise Atletico de Kolkata's (ATK) coach Antonio Lopez Habas believes Argentina's talismanic forward Lionel Messi deserves the FIFA Ballon d'Or which he clinched for a record fifth time.
Messi edged past Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona team-mate Neymar to hold aloft the prestigious trophy at a gala ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday.
"I think that Messi deserves the award," Habas told IANS from Spain on Wednesday.
The 58-year-old helped ATK win the ISL in its inaugural season in 2014. The former Valencia coach said there are certain players who can make it to the top three nominations next time, and added that Neymar can be the winner next season.
"I think that there are some players that could be inside three positions, and maybe Neymar can be higher up the next season," he said.