Who deserves the Ballon d’Or?

Article by Lee Beevor

With the announcement of the top five imminent, the identity of 2013’s world’s best footballer is a step closer to being revealed. The Ballon d’Or has become almost the personal property of Lionel Messi, who once again is among the twenty three nominees. Should the Argentinean magician do so, it would stretch his unprecedented run of consecutive wins to five. To put this into perspective, the previous record was held jointly by Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten, each of whom accumulated three. Even if Messi does not win, his four victories leave him ahead of these legends of the game, with half his career still to come! His form in 2013 has excellent, with his 45 goals in 46 games played maintaining his superhuman level of performance.

This year more than ever, Messi faces particularly stiff competition. Franck Ribery is a strong candidate to wrest the title away from him, following his phenomenal season with Bayern Munich. Ribery has been widely hailed as the driving force behind his club’s historic treble. Whilst his direct play and searing pace make him a vital component of the all-conquering Bayern, I do not consider him worthy of the accolade. This is not to malign him unduly; I just cannot see how he can be separated from his team-mate Arjen Robben, who is also on the shortlist.

The extension of the closing date for voting, or potentially critically changing of vote, has led to a clamour of support for Luis Suarez. Setting aside my personal view of the individual, Suarez has submitted an impressive body of work, despite the restriction of mediocre team-mates. Since returning from his latest suspension, he has elevated his game to even higher levels. However, does this really make him a better player than Gareth Bale, whose feats where achieved in a similarly ordinary Tottenham side? Furthermore, Bale has gone on to add to his credentials, recently registering his first hat-trick at the world’s biggest club.

For me however, there is only one winner. He has waited impatiently in the wings for the last four years, but should have to wait no longer to receive his second Ballon d’Or. My choice is Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who has scored 67 goals for Real Madrid and Portugal in 57 appearances. Cristiano’s finishing ability stands up to the most stringent scrutiny, having been replicated against all levels of opposition. His goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final was a landmark sixth consecutive Clasico in which he had scored. On the international stage, his big game credentials were enhanced still further during his county’s World Cup play-off. Cristiano’s four goal haul ensured his presence at Brazil 2014, at the expense of fellow nominee Zlatan Ibrahimovic. For me, this capped what has been a season of sustained brilliance by the Portuguese powerhouse and I hope he receives his just reward in Zurich on January 13.

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