Colombia skipper Mario Yepes believes Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has what it takes to challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Fifa Ballon d'Or.
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The 23-year-old is one of 23 players who have been shortlisted for
the prestigious individual award following his fine perfomances for
Colombia at the World Cup, which saw him end the tournament as the top
goalscorer with six goals.
James then joined Madrid in an €80 million move from Monaco over the
summer and has slowly found his feet in Spain, starring in their recent
victories over Liverpool and Barcelona in the Champions and La Liga
respectively, with Yepes quick to give his compatriot a glowing
endorsement.
"Can James compete with Cristiano Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi for the
Ballon d’Or? I’m sure that given what he achieved at the World Cup, he’s
got what it takes to challenge them," the defender told the official
Fifa website.
"He’s also showing that he was signed by Real Madrid on merit and has
tons of potential. Let’s hope he can push Ronaldo and Messi all the
way, and why not? He’s a lad with incredible vision, great mobility and
so much composure it’s like he’s playing at a different tempo, but it’s
just the way he plays.
"Those guys are monsters, two phenomenons, but they’ve got different
characteristics and play in a different position [to Rodriguez]. They’re
more about scoring goals, about turning a game. They run with the ball,
they’re decisive and they score lots of a goals per season.
"But, like I said, James has this style of play, this tempo, which sets him apart from them."
The 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or will be narrowed down to
three candidates on December 1, before the winner is announced on
January 12.
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