BALOTELLI WANTS BALLON

Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has come out with a statement saying that he is may well capable of winning the Ballon d'Or award.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or award is regarded as one of the crowning awards for a player. Only a handful of players have won it in recent years. Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who is believed to be the best player in the world right now, has won it three times in the last few years.

As a result of it, Mario Balotelli has said that he can win the Ballon d'Or award, although it is something that would be possible only if Lionel Messi drops from his current form.

French legend Michel Platini is only one player alongside Lionel Messi having won the famous FIFA Ballon d'Or award three times in succession. Lionel Messi regularly scores around 40 goals per season.

Even though Mario Balotelli is yet to reach the same heights, the young Italian striker believes that he still has time on his side to win the famous trophy. "I can win the Ballon d'Or, but only if Messi's level drops a bit. It will be very complicated to do so if he keeps up his current form. I really believe I can win the award, but there's not much I can do if Messi maintains this level," the former Inter Milan attacker was quoted on the Italian tabloid La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Mario Balotelli arrived at Manchester City in a £ 24 million deal in the summer of 2010. Since then, he has been at the centre of many controversies, while also being at the end of numerous exciting plays. It has taken some time for him to establish as the first team player at Manchester City, but Balotelli has revealed that he is revelling in the role.