The award ceremony this year, promises to be one of the most intriguing ones in recent history, with the chances of the usual suspects Ronaldo and Messi being downplayed by fans and pundits alike for the first time since 2007.
It has almost been a month since France Football released the 30-man shortlist for Ballon d’Or. But, if we’re being real, no one really cares about the 30-man list, all they want to know is who’ll be the crowned the Ballon d’Or winner on the 3rd of December this year.
Well, who’ll triumph this time around is still up for debate even as late as in November, what appears more conspicuous is the list of players who could make it in the final 3-man shortlist and compete for winning this prestigious accolade.
Thus, here we look at the 3 most probable candidates poised for a top 3 finish at the Ballon d’Or awards 2018.
#3 Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann, the joint top-scorer for France in their successful World Cup 2018 campaign, has emerged as one of the leading players to claim the Ballon d’Or this December.
In a hugely successful year, the Atletico Madrid forward won the Europa League, the World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and came second in a league that has Real Madrid and Barcelona in it.
It has been observed that in years when major international competitions take place, the chances of some of the best performing player at the tournament to win the trophy increase exponentially.
Thus, Griezmann who was pivotal to Les Bleus’ second World Cup triumph makes an obvious case for taking the trophy home this year. If his performances for the club are coupled with international success, there are not many players in the world right now more deserving than the French top goal-scorer across the top 5 leagues last season.
And he has been tipped to claim the trophy by the likes of Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Diego Simeone.
#2 Raphael Varane
Although the 25-year-old Raphael Varane might get overshadowed by Sergio Ramos as the key centre-back at Santiago Bernebau, he has been one of the best defenders in the world over the last year.
The Lens youth product has been rock-solid at the back, whether playing for Los Blancos or representing France.
The Frenchman had a wonderful year with Real Madrid and France national team. He won the Champions League for the third consecutive time with Real Madrid and earned the greatest honour with Les Bleus by helping France win the World Cup in 2018.
Why do we think Varane makes a compelling case for a shot at the Ballon d’Or? Well, the last time a defender won the award was back in 2006 when Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro claimed the trophy after a successful season with Juventus and most importantly after leading Italy to their fourth World Cup glory.
So, Varane who has won two of the world’s biggest competitive tournaments in 2018 and scored a goal in the World Cup Quarter-Final, cannot be ruled out of the race for the Ballon d’Or and is a sure top 3 contender.
One of the French legends and a three-time Ballon d’Or winner himself, Michel Platini has vouched for the young defender to win the Golden Ball this year.
“There’s always the Ronaldo-Messi debate, but this year there’s only one player who has won a European Cup and the World Cup, it’s Varane.” He told RMC.
“Let’s not forget that in 2006 it was a defender, Fabio Cannavaro, who won the Ballon d’Or.” He said referring to the last time a defender won the award.
Honorable Mentions
This article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the stars who had a stellar season in their own rights but their achievements just aren’t enough and they might just fall short of making it into the top 3.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG and France)
The French sensation is without a doubt one of the top wingers in the world right now. He had a wonderful World Cup, where he was the joint top-scorer for Les Bleus. But lack of competition in Ligue 1 to his club PSG and failure on the European stage, means he probably won’t be able to claim the trophy this year.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)
The Egyptian winger had a breakthrough season with Liverpool and shined in Premier League as well as Champions League. But with no silverware to his name, his chances to finish in top 3 looks slim.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/Juventus and Portugal)
He did win the Champions League and was the top scorer in the competition, but lack of domestic silverware and a modest World Cup performance might be enough to make him miss out on the top 3 spot.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
Another frustrating World Cup campaign and exit from the Champions League in the knockout phase means Lionel Messi will have to wait another year to see himself in the top 3 at the Ballon d’Or awards.
#1 Luka Modric
The second Real Madrid player in our list, Luka Modric had the season of his life this year.
The 33-year-old Croatian led his country to an unprecedented second-placed finish at the World Cup 2018, where they lost 4-2 to France. But his performances as a player and the team’s captain were enough to win him the Golden Ball award, making him the first Croatian to do so.
At club level, he won the Champions League with Real Madrid for the third year running and was declared as the UEFA Champions League midfielder of the season.
As mentioned earlier, success at these two major tournaments is a factor that works in favour of the players, so the midfield maestro has a great shot at becoming the first Croatian ever to win the trophy next month.
He was shockingly voted as the Best FIFA Men’s Player this September, which make him a favourite at these awards too. Also, he is the first choice of many players like Ronaldo, Hazard to claim the trophy.
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