No Messi, No Neymar – Why Ronaldo Is The Clear Contender For Ballon d’Or This Year

The 2016 France Football’s Ballon d’Or awards ceremony goes down on December 13, and voting from a panel consisting of journalists across the world is underway.

Since 2008, the top prize for the footballer adjudged as the best on the planet has always been contested between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – the 2 best players in the world in the last decade.

This year, it wouldn’t be any different with the regular suspects set to be the frontrunners for the top football award. As it has always been the norm and unsurprisingly, opinions are divided as to whom truly deserves this year’s edition of the prize.

Despite the stark difference in the fortunes and achievements of the duo over the past 12 months, there still is no clear favourite to scoop the Ballon d’Or. The whole world learnt this back in 2010 when Wesley Sneijder, who had won all 5 club football trophies up from grabs finished in 4th place.

Whatever happens this year and whomever the selected group of revered journalists deem fit to vote for, it can’t be denied that the Real Madrid number 7 is the most deserving of the prize out of the La Liga duo.

The 31-year-old came back from what was a poor and woeful start to last season’s campaign to defy the odds and lead both club and country to glory on the continent.

He singlehandedly guided Real Madrid to the Champions League final last season via an hat-trick to seal an incredible 2nd leg turn around after Wolfsburg had won 2-nil in Germany. He was also on hand to convert the club’s winning penalty against Atletico Madrid in the pulsating final in May.

While many argued he doesn’t deserve to be crowned the world best player off the back of that alone, he silenced critics and naysayers alike as he inspired his country to an unprecedented European Champions title just 2 months afterwards.

The spectacular fine form of the Portuguese legend has continued this season for both club and country. Despite starting the season late and with an injury he sustained at the finals in France, Cr7 has managed to grab 8 goals and 2 assists in just 9 La Liga appearances.

His hat-trick against Atletico at the weekend not only broke Alfredo Di Stefano’s record in the Madrid Derby to become the all-time top goal scorer with 18 goals, it also saw Real Madrid come out tops against their bitter rivals in the league for the first time since March 2013.

In his last 10 competitive appearances for Real Madrid, having scored 8 goals and registered 6 assists, the former Manchester United winger has had a hand in 14 goals for the Bernabeu outfit.

Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t only shattered and created records within the last 1 year, he has also done what his closest rival Messi, hasn’t able to do for his country by winning a major trophy for his own country. That achievement alone puts any debate about who is the better of the pair to bed, at least within the time frame.

Madrid will always have him to thank for their 11th European title, and handing him an improved and extended deal was a way to show their gratitude.

Come December 13th, he fully deserves to walk away with the Ballon d’Or award as he is definitely the clear number 1 contender for it.