FIFA conducted an interview with Lothar Matthäus in which the legendary German midfielder voiced his view regarding who should win the 2015 Ballon d'Or: "In my opinion, only one player deserves it: Lionel Messi".

Matthäus, who won the 1991 Ballon d'Or, highlighted his reasons for touting the Argentine as the winner: "He's been performing at an excellent level for Barcelona once again, and not just in the Champions League, but also in the team's domestic double triumph. Success with Argentina continues to escape him, however".

The record World Cup appearance holder would be surprised if anyone but Messi is crowned the best player on the planet in January. "He oozes extraordinary class and continually shows that his game is unique. It would be a major surprise to me if the award goes to anybody else", he said.

As for the coach of the year, Matthäus could look no further than 'Los Azulgranas' boss Luis Enrique. "He's the main favourite. Given there hasn't been a World Cup or Euros this year, it's normal for the focus to be more on club football, which is where Barcelona have stood out from the rest".