Messi and Ronaldo don't deserve Ballon d'Or - Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal is expecting either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or but feels one of Germany's World Cup-winning squad would merit the award more. The Barcelona and Real Madrid stars are favourites to be crowned on January 12, 2015, but the Manchester United manager feels the pair do not deserve the honour. Messi, a four-time winner, was handed the Golden Ball at the World Cup after helping Argentina to the final while Ronaldo, a two-time winner, lifted the Champions League with Real Madrid. But Van Gaal feels a member of the triumphant Germany squad would be more worthy victors, with Toni Kross, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze all nominated. "Most of the time it is always the well known players [who win the Ballon d'Or]," he told MUTV. "It is more for the football world and outside world than for other things I believe. I think it will be Ronaldo or Messi but I want to say that you have to win something. "The best thing to win is the World Cup. I hope it shall be a German player because they deserve it. "The level of the Bundesliga matches is also very high so I think it should be a German player."