5-year Marliniversary: José Fernández makes final All-Star appearance José Fernández’s life and career

Pep Guardiola never mi Rodrigo Blankenship Jerseys ses an opportunity to remind everybody that, in his opinion, Lionel Me si is by far thebest player in the world.

Ask the Manchester City manager how anybody else compares to the Argentineand you will be told that there isn't a comparison at all.

Mohamed Salah and Kylian Mbappeare among the players tohave beenlikenedto Me si recently, but Guardiola isn't havingit.

"Nobody can sit at the same table as Me si," he began when asked about Mbappe, who he actually tried to sign. And onSalah: "I respect him a lot, but Ill help him by telling him to try to avoid being compared with the other guy.

Sometimes Guardiolabrings Me siinto the argument himself, like when hewas asked about Kevin De Bruyne's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or in September 2016:"He is one of the best players I have worked with. Me si is on his own atthe table, but Kevin is in the next table and he is right up there."

After Christmas he was . "Who does Me si play for?" he countered. "So Barcelona are the favourites."

You get the point;Guardiola likes Me si (and tables).

So you'd have been forgiven for a suming what was coming when Guardiola was asked on Saturday whether De Bruynecan win the Ballon d'Or this time.

"No doubt," he a serted."Itis not one game, its the whole season, every three days playing that way. Every T.Y. Hilton Jerseys three games. The way he played, its difficult to find one in Europe."

For Guardiola to allude to others in Europe but not mention Me si tells you everything you need to know about how highly he rates De Bruyne. He thinks he's right up there.

And for good reason. As the Catalan noted, De Bruyne has been pulling the strings for City all season. He has been the best player at the best club in Europe.

The a sist statistic is not always an accurate measure of a player's influence,but given De Bruynehas developed a knack of delivering the most precise deliveries from seemingly anywhere on the pitchit is fair to say heis as creative as the numbers suggest.

Look at the first two of his three a sists against Leicester on Saturday and then consider this Opta statistic: since hisWerder Bremen debut in August 2012,he has provided 77 a sists in Europe's big 5 leagues, more than any other player in that time. That's one more than Me si.

Even so, statisticsdo not do him justice. There are moments of magic that cannot be conveyed by numbers that put him among the very best and separate him from the stat-padders. The energy (300km covered in the league alone), the touches, the technique, the precision.

Like Me si. It's important to read hehas scored 27goals and made 14a sists this season, but Jonathan Taylor Hoodies Sweatshirts it'seven better to see him doing it.

But when it comes to the Ballon d'Or, what matters most is when you do it. Me si and Cristiano Ronaldohavedelivered on the biggest stages for over a decade now. De Bruyne, just like Neymar and any of the challengers, willneedto show his best in the next fewmonths.

"He knowsand everyone knows to be there you have to win titles, and titles and titles," Guardiola added on Saturday."Especially one."

He means the Champions League. "You have to be there in the latter stages. Without the latter stages you will not be nominated."

The World Cup will be an extra consideration this year, though it's hard to argue it will be decisive givenMe si and Parris Campbell Jerseys Ronaldo have been crowned the world's best individuals without playing for the world's best nations in 2010 and 2014.

And City will surely fancy their chances in the Champions League, especially asthey face Basel on Tuesday. That tie will hardly define De Bruyne's season, and indeed should present him with further opportunities to shine.

Things will not be so straightforward for the other new pretender to Me si and Ronaldo's throne, however.

Neymar received plenty of criticism for making the move to Paris Saint-Germain, but while many have suggested he took the easy option by moving out of Me si's shadow (and for earning 36.8m a Brandon Facyson Jerseys year to do so), it should not be forgotten that he hasbeen tasked with delivering Europeanglory to a club that has not been in the conversationsince Carlo Ancelotti's side ran Barca close four years ago.

, it must be said. Like De Bruyne he is the driving force behind one of Europe's newer super powers, and like De Bruynehis stats are up there with the best around, but the fact thatfans acro s France areflocking to see him proves that he has theextra quality you need to be the best.

How he fares againstReal Madrid, in hismini-battle with Ronaldo, will have a major impact on how his first season in France is evaluated.

You get the feeling that Neymar, like Ronaldo, is driven by a desire to win the Ballon d'Or, which will ramp up the pre sure on both men.

It does not seem that De Bruynewill be burdened by that kind of thinking- even ifhis agent has ensured he'll be paid an extra 600,000 per year for being named the world's best.

"I do everything to win titles with Alec Pierce Jerseys the team," he told reporters at theweekend."What happens after is an extra. I am very pleased with the way everything is going for me. I am playing this way because the team is playing this way. It makes it easier for me, it makes it easier for them. At the end, if you get an individual honour it is beautiful."

The time has come to makethose performances count. While nobody can deny that De Bruyne, Neymar, Me si and their teams have impre sed so far this season, you would not be surprised if Ronaldo turnseverything on its head and leadsMadrid to an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League title.

That's the level the new contenders must now aspire to. Whether that's enough to earn a place on Me si's table is another matter altogether.

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