AC Milan star Kaka has backed Barcelona midfielder Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d'Or. Kaka is also on the shortlist to win this year's award.

“Messi is a truly great player. Cristiano Ronaldo is also very good and deserves the away, but I want Leo to be my successor,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He has incredible ability and can control the ball superbly and that makes him one of the best players in the world.

“I think he is the sort of player that you would always want in your team.

“I am only talking about this year. My aim is to recover my form as quickly as possible and to try and win th trophy again in Paris and the FIFA World Player of the Year in Zürich.

“But for that to happen I have to be playing at a consistently good level for Milan.”