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Neymar: I don't play for individual awards

Xinhua, December 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

Barcelona forward Neymar said on Monday that he is not thinking about football's Ballon d'Or award for which he is a final nominee.

The 23-year-old Brazilian was earlier named alongside Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo as a 2015 finalist for football's top individual honor.

"I don't play football for individual awards or records," Neymar told the Brazilian Football Confederation website. "These are things that have to come naturally."

Neymar is the first Brazilian since Kaka in 2007 to be among the three Ballon d'Or finalists.

He will be aiming to join Romario (1994), Ronaldo (1996, 1997 and 2002), Rivaldo (1999), Ronaldinho (2004 and 2005) and Kaka (2007) as Brazilian winners.

"Just the fact that I have been nominated alongside Messi and being the first Brazilian in seven years, makes me very happy," Neymar said.

The former Santos prodigy has so far scored 45 goals in 2015, 41 of which have been for Barcelona.

He played a crucial role in Barcelona's 2014-15 Champions League triumph, netting 10 goals to be the competition's equal top scorer alongside Ronaldo and Messi.

Ronaldo is targeting his fourth Ballon d'Or - and third in succession - while Messi is hoping to clinch the award for a fifth time.

The winner will be announced at FIFA's Ballon d'Or Gala in Zurich on January 11. Endit