Barcelona's Luis Suarez is baffled that his team mate Lionel Messi is not widely considered the outright favourite to win next month's Ballon d'Or award.
The 27-year-old La Liga's all-time top goalscorer has been shortlisted alongside Bayern Munich's shotstopper Manuel Neuer and Cristiano Ronaldo - but the Real Madrid talisman is the current favourite to win his third Ballon d'Or having helped Los Blancos to lift the Champions League and Copa del Rey last season.
But Suarez believes Messi deserves his fifth Ballon d'Or for his efforts this calendar year - particlarly during the past one month, and at the last World Cup.
"It is clear that all players want to win the Ballon d'Or and anyone that says otherwise is lying," the Uruguayan forward told Sport. "It is normal in the life of a football player.
"But I've always said the best player in the world is Messi for everything he has done and for all he brings to football.
"Leo reached the World Cup final. Neuer is world champion, whereas Cristiano by contrast was eliminated in the first round with Portugal.
"Cristiano won the Champions League, but finished third in La Liga, while Neuer went out badly in the Champions League.
"After so many months with many goals is amazing that people do not think of Leo Messi as the favourite. What is clear is that there are different campaigns for people to win."
Messi led his national team mates to the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, whilst Neuer lifted the highly coveted trophy with Germany - efforts that may be overlooked on the award day.