End of Messi-Ronaldo Monopoly: 4 contenders for Ballon d'Or
Ballon d’Or, the prestigious award given by France Football to the footballer who performs better than anyone else over the course of the calendar year, has been shared between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, two behemoths of modern day football, since 2008.
After Ronaldo lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy for the third year in a row as Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 back in May, many people were convinced the Madrid star would surpass his Barcelona rival by winning the Ballon d’Or one more time. On the other hand, Leo Messi, who won both La Liga and Copa del Rey with Barcelona this past season, had to do something spectacular with Argentina at World Cup 2018 to reclaim the award.
Eventually, both Ronaldo and Messi had to leave Russia earlier than they would have hoped for, as the Portuguese World Cup dream ended at the hands of a stubborn Uruguay side while the aging Argentina team lost against sprightly France. Brazil, France, England, and Uruguay are still in contention for World Cup success, and as a result, the award could be won by a new superstar – Neymar, Mbappé, Cavani, or Kane – provided one of them leads his team to World Cup glory in Russia.
Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane scored 30 Premier League and 7 Champions league goals for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2017-18 season. Unsurprisingly, he has been the talisman for his national side as well, scoring 6 goals so far and leading his side to a quarter-final clash against Sweden. While he is already the front-runner to win the Golden Boot at World Cup 2018, he can also become a strong Ballon d’Or contender if he guides his nation to ultimate glory in Russia.
Edinson Cavani
Uruguayan striker Cavani helped Paris Saint-Germain win the domestic treble, scoring 28 Ligue 1 and 7 Champions league goals in 2017-18. Carrying his prolific club form to the biggest international tournament this summer, he has scored three goals in Russia so far, two of which proved to be decisive in the round of 16 battle against Portugal.
Although Uruguay are not favorites to win the World Cup, they may fancy their chances to bring the trophy back home for the first time since 1950 because of their world class defenders, agile midfielders, and lethal forwarders. But for that to happen, along with strong teamwork, Cavani will have to keep stepping up at crucial moments. Cavani, who recently surpassed Ibrahimović to become PSG’s all-time top scorer, has never been touted as a Ballon d’Or contender, yet he can claim all the attention if he performs to his potential in the next 3 games at the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé
PSG starlet Mbappé took the world by storm after destroying Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16 game a few days ago. After impressing for Monaco in 2016-17, he also had a decent beginning at his current club, scoring 13 goals in the French League and 4 in the Champions League last season. The 19-year-old wonder kid, considered by many as the new Pele, has already scored 3 goals at the World Cup.
France’s success at the World Cup heavily depends on the teenager, and he could set new records by winning multiple awards, such as the Golden Ball, Best Young Player, and Ballon d’Or. Although he is not among the favorites for the latter prize, he can surprisingly beat everyone in the race provided he guides his nation to glory, something they have been striving for since 1998.
Neymar
Earlier this year, many people thought the Ballon d’Or race would be limited to Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Mohamed Salah. Neymar missed the second half of the past season due to injury and it seemed he could be considered a contender only if he could lead his nation to a record sixth World Cup title.
Although often criticized for on-field playacting, Neymar has been Brazil’s power-house going forward, and he can finally take himself to the level of Messi and Cristiano if he improves his performances further in the coming matches at football’s greatest event. Interestingly, Neymar, despite missing a majority of the season for PSG, managed impressive figures -- 19 goals and 13 assists in Ligue 1, and 6 goals and 3 assists in the Champions League.
At the World Cup, he has scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist as of the round of 16, and he is very much alive in the race for the Golden Ball and Ballon d’Or.