Top 5 youngsters who can win the Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or is awarded by "France Football" every year to the best footballer of the year. Several legends of the game have won this prestigious accolade in the past but two of the greatest players ever, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have maintained their duopoly on the award over the past decade.
With Cristiano Ronaldo winning the award this year, it takes their tally to 5 apiece. Back in 2012, Lionel Messi was on top of the world and had won 4 consecutive Ballon d'Ors. Fast forward 5 years and Cristiano has somehow miraculously managed to turn the tide having won 4 times in the past 5 years and one cannot bet against the duo for being there on the podium next year as well and again there after.
But with both players in their 30s, one can expect age to catch up, and there are several young players who will have the chance to claim the award pretty soon. Here we take a look at five youngsters who can challenge for Ballon d'Or in the near future:
#5 Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus is the rising star of Brazilian football and and has drawn praise from Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Zico for his play and work ethic. The young striker plied his trade with Palmeiras in his home nation scoring 21 goals in 41 appearances in 2016 and helped them to their first league title in 22 years.
His performances certainly caught the eye of several bigwigs across Europe and Manchester City won the race for his signature after splashing out €32 million for his services, which now seems to be a bargain considering how inflated the transfer market is. He is an extremely talented forward, possessing a great technique and dribbling ability, and irrefutably is a lethal finisher highlighted by his 15 goal return in 24 Premier League games this year.
He has now become a regular starter for Brazil and already has 8 international goals in 13 appearances. At just 20 years of age, he will only improve and under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, he can surely be the best player in the world.