Ballon d'Or 2019: Ranking the top 5 favorites - September 2019
While collective trophies rank high on the bucket list of all footballers, there is also an underlying need to win individual honours, as such accolades signify a performance level adjudged to have surpassed your peers, and most players, particularly those on the highest cadres strive for individual celebration.
When it comes to individual accolades, there is none bigger than the Ballon d'Or, as the prestigious award is widely regarded to be the highest personal recognition a player could get.
Awarded since 1956, a roll call of Ballon d'Or winners reads like a who's who of the most illustrious names in footballing history, with many of the winners having gone on to achieve legendary status in football folklore.
Though it was originally awarded to exclusively Europeans, in 1995 the award was open to all players from all nationalities with the only caveat being that they had to be playing in a European club.
In 2007, the qualification for the award was further expanded to include players from all nationalities regardless of where they plied their trade.
Since it's inception, the Ballon d'Or has been handed out by French media outfit France Football bar a brief five-year period between 2010 and 2015 when it was handed out by FIFA.
The winner was decided exclusively by journalists from 1956 to 2007, but from 2007 till date, coaches and captains of national teams have also been allocated votes.
With five wins each, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the joint-highest winners in the history of the awards, and with few months until the winner of the 64th edition is announced, we shall be having a rundown of the top five contenders for the award as at September 2019.
#5 Alisson Becker (Liverpool/Brazil)
The last year has been truly spectacular for Alisson Becker, as he has seen his stock grow rapidly since arriving at Liverpool from Roma for a then world-record fee.
While in Italy, the Brazilian international earned a reputation as one of the fast-rising goalies in the world and was affectionately termed the 'Messi of goalkeepers' by then Roma director of football Monchi.
At Anfield, the 26-year-old has seen his stock rise higher, and ended last season as the custodian of the meanest defense in the Premier League, with Liverpool conceding just 22 goals as they finished marginally behind Manchester City in the league.
Furthermore, he ended the season with the Premier League Golden Glove by keeping 21 clean sheets, and ended the season with the Golden Glove in all three competitions he participated in, viz the Copa America and Champions League; becoming the first goalkeeper to achieve the feat in the process.
For his efforts, he was named UEFA Goalkeeper of the season, and given his extreme importance to their cause, fans of The Reds would be hoping that their shot-stopper return from injury in time to aid their quest for glory.