By Tim Stannard/beIN SPORTS

Leo Messi tipped to win record sixth Ballon d'Or title in France Football ceremony in Paris 

Rather than rely on secret interviews or photographers flown in for photoshoots, the best way to know who will win Monday's 2019 Ballon d'Or award is what Cristiano Ronaldo's travel plans are for the day.

If there is a strong indication through back channels that either Ronaldo himself or anyone else except Lionel Messi is the winner then CR7 will be there in Paris for the annual prize-giving from France Football magazine. 

However, the rumors - and our Jamie Easton himself - are punting on Messi lifting a record sixth Ballon d'Or title, which will be one more than Ronaldo, to ensure that a sudden calf injury or Instagram-filmed appointment with some light reading in a beige armchair might be the new Monday night plan for the Portuguese player. 

This was the result of Messi winning the FIFA Player of the Year trophy in September.

Should Messi prevail then it will be magisterial timing considering the clinching winning goal for the Argentinean against Atletico Madrid just 24-hours before Messi is due to be handed the trophy. 

A new best goalkeeper award is expected to be given to Alisson Becker of Liverpool, the best young player is tipped to be Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho while Megan Rapinoe is set to win the women's Ballon d'Or award. 

Magisterial: The Ray Hudson Show will look back at the Ballon d'Or awards and also Barcelona's squeaky win over Atletico Madrid.  That gets underway at  7:30PM ET on beIN SPORTS.

Goal-shy Atletico Madrid linked with Cavani capture in January 

The other side of Barcelona's win over Atletico Madrid in the Wanda on Sunday is the impact that the loss had to the Rojiblancos, a team that simply cannot score goals. And that's not ideal in the game of soccer.

The loss sees Atletico slipping to sixth spot in LaLiga with just one win in five and only 16 goals scored in 15 games. That's less than Alaves. Which is not good. 

AS is reporting on Monday that Diego Simeone will reach out to Edinson Cavani of PSG as a winter window signing. The Uruguayan has lost a starting role with the Ligue Un club to Mauro Icardi and might fancy a final chapter in his European career in LaLiga. 

Another striker who could be on the move in the winter is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 30-year-old has been the one functioning aspect of Arsenal over the past two years with the striker having scored 10 league goals alone this season. 

The transfer rumor mill has the player linked with Inter Milan, who are looking at a real push at the Scudetto this season and even Real Madrid, just in case something unfortunate happens to Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale has to play as a lone striker.

The Sports Burst live show with Gabrielle Amado and Thomas Rongen will be peering into Atletico Madrid's dark universe and everything else at 12PM ET.

No Silva lining for Everton as sacking expected at Goodison Park 

A day would not be a day without another managerial firing in the Premier League. 

A last-second loss to Leicester on Sunday sees Everton just two points from the relegation zone in the EPL standings with just seven points picked up from the past 30 available. 

Speaking of Leicester, a less than solid commitment to the club from Brendan Rogers on Sunday sees the manager now being heavily linked with the vacant Arsenal job, a team that is thirteen points behind the Foxes in the table. 

When probed on the chances of a move on Sunday, Rogers was not entirely solid in his dedication to Leicester to Sports Burst's suspicious ears with lots of fiffy-faffy talk of "projects" and "foundations."

Neither Watford nor Everton will feature in Monday's Weekend Winners show with Hope Solo. But Leicester might. And Barcelona certainly will. Tune in at 7PM ET for the most comprehensive look back at the weekend in the world of soccer.