A View From Spain with Mario Diaz Camacho - Should Xavi Have Won the Ballon d'Or?

It seems that all of us agree about Messi. The Argentinean is the best in the world, of that, there is no doubt. But for once in a lifetime it would be great if the Ballon d'Or, as happened when Fabio Cannavaro won the award in 2006, had gone to another key player in the successful Barcelona and Spain side. This is Xavi's time and here in Spain everybody knows that without him Vincent Del Bosque's side is not the same.

Trying to compete with 53 goals in 55 matchs is something that only Cristiano Ronaldo can attempt to emulate. The Portuguese is the only man in the world with stats comparable to Messi. But football is more than simply goals and assists (by the way the Argentinean had 24 assists last season). It's the way you play, the way you help your team, the ability to raise the level of your teammates and there is no one better than this than Xavi. Perhaps some fans of English football do not like the Spanish style of tik-a-tak, but it's fair to declare that with this style Spain have become worthy European World champions. All of that thanks to Xavi.

Messi speaks about winning the Ballon d'Or, but should Xavi have won the coveted prize.

We can say the same thing about Barcelona. Xavi is moulded in the image of Josep Guardiola; the recently crowned coach of the year. Pep is hailed for the style of his team, for the numerous titles and the manner in which they have been won. But all of this would not have been possible without Xavi. The Catalonian is the key cog in the well oiled Barcelona machine. He moves his teammates like no one in the world. The only comparisons may have been Andrea Pirlo in his prime at AC Milan, while perhaps Zinedine Zidane in his early years at Juventus could rival the diminutive Spaniard. But today he is the only one.

Then, why not a Golden Ball for him? The trophy, which has now been won three times in a row by Messi has lost importance. I don't know why, but this is the truth. The accolade has always been associated with the scorer of goals and the headline grabbers. Xavi is a man that does not crave attention despite being the heartbeat of the Barcelona side and it is a travesty that he has not been recognised as the best player in the world.

That's right. Spain haven't had a Ballon d'Or winner since Luis Suárez in 1960 and the Spanish fans are afraid that it will never happen again. But you all agree that Xavi deserves it, at least Messi did when he dedicated his award to the perennial playmaker. "I want to share this with Xavi. It's the fourth time we're together in this gala. You deserve it too. For me it's a great pleasure being next to you here and in the field."

In recent times there have been some surprise winners of the Ballon d'Or with the less glamorous names of Cannavaro and Mathias Sammer winning the award (don't dare to say an english name). Maybe Xavi would have been considered in those years but for once it would be great if a small, intelligent playmaker was selected as the best in the world.

In fact, Xavi has the won the same amount of titles as Messi. The Spanish Liga, Champions League, Spanish SuperCup, European SuperCup and World Clubs Championship to name just a few. On top of this Xavi can include a Euro and World Cup double. Furthermore, at a time where both Spain and Spanish football dominates the international stage and with Xavi so crucial to both sides, surely there would be no-one more deserving.

Mario Diaz Camacho is a respected journalist at Spanish newspaper at El Mundo