Xabi Alonso picks his Ballon d'Or winner
in action at the Allianz Arena against SV Werder Bremen
Xabi Alonso has had an illustrious career, playing alongside top players in teams like Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. So, it would not be far fetched to suggest that he would have a good idea on who the best player was in the previous season.
Alonso switched Real Madrid for the Bavarian giants, Bayern Munich, in the summer of 2014, after winning the Champions League wearing the white of Madrid. The prime contenders for the FIFA Ballon d’Or award are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but, Xabi has picked a world-cup winning player as his choice to lift the coveted prize in Zurich in January.
The Spaniard has given his backing to new team-mate and German custodian, Manuel Neuer. He gave Neuer a glowing report and not only praised his goalkeeping skills but, also his outfield talent when he said, “If Manuel won it, it'd be totally deserved. Neuer is by far the best keeper I've played with and is also outstanding outfield.”
New FIFA Ballon d’Or winner
It will create quite a stir if neither of Ronaldo or Messi is adjudged to be the best player in the world. The Portugese hitman and Argentinian wizard have won the award amongst them the last 6 times.
A notable absentee in the 23-players shortlist is Barcelona and former Liverpool striker, Luis Suarez, who plundered 31 goals and 12 assists in 33 matches last season for the Merseysiders.
The Ballon d’Or will be awarded on 12th January 2015 in Zurich to one of :
- Gareth Bale (Wales)
- Karim Benzema (France)
- Diego Costa (Spain)
- Thibaut Courtois (Belgium)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- Angel Di Maria (Argentina)
- Mario Gotze (Germany)
- Eden Hazard (Belgium)
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
- Andres Iniesta (Spain)
- Toni Kroos (Germany)
- Philipp Lahm (Germany)
- Javier Mascherano (Argentina)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina)
- Thomas Muller (Germany)
- Manuel Neuer (Germany)
- Neymar (Brazil)
- Paul Pogba (France)
- Sergio Ramos (Spain)
- Arjen Robben (Holland)
- James Rodriguez (Colombia)
- Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
- Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)