Top 7 contenders for the Ballon d'or

The France Football Ballon d'Or

For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Ballon d'Or, the greatest individual honour in professional football is no longer a two horse race. The last ten Ballon d'Ors have been split evenly between Ronaldo and Messi and, with the exception of a few seasons, those two have been a class apart from the rest of the footballing world.

Not this season though. Of course, they've both had pretty spectacular seasons by mere mortal standards, but they've also fallen short of the lofty standards they set for themselves. Other players are catching up and this might finally be the year a player breaks the duopoly.

Here are seven serious contenders for the Ballon d'Or.

Before we move on to the seven contenders, let us first take a look at a few honourable mentions.

Mohamed Salah: Mo Salah had a phenomenal first season with Liverpool, scoring 32 Premier League goals as part of Liverpool's dynamite attack and scored 10 goals in the Champions League as part of a free-scoring Liverpool side that advanced till the finals in Kiev, breaking many records along the way. However, his World Cup campaign with Egypt fell flat as they were eliminated in the group stage, as Uruguay and Russia advanced at their stead. The World Cup is often a decisive factor as far as the Ballon d'Or is concerned and, for this reason, I believe Salah will not be a Ballon d'Or winner in the near future.

Mo Salah

Harry Kane: The England captain has had a fantastic season, in terms of goals scored. 30 goals in the Premier League and 6 in the World Cup, where he helped lead England to a solid fourth place finish. What goes against him is the fact that his trophy cabinet is rather sparse and, of his 6 goals at the World Cup, only one came from open play, and that too was a lucky deflection. A stronger domestic campaign would have seen him become a real contender for the award.

Harry Kane

Antoine Griezmann: While he did impress at the world cup, his domestic season with Atletico Madrid was unremarkable and as it is, he is not one of the top contenders.

Antoine Griezmann

Number 7: Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi can never be counted out, as far as the race for the Ballon d'Or is concerned. While he did endure a rather disappointing World Cup Campaign, his domestic campaign with Barcelona was rather excellent. He was the top scorer in the League with 34 goals, 6 more than his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo and also went on to win the European Golden Shoe. This is a World Cup year, and the World Cup does possess significant weight with regards to the Ballon d'Or, but Messi has done enough to ensure that his name will be a part of the conversation.

Number 6: Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe

This 19-year-old has the world at his feet. Not only did he enjoy a strong domestic campaign with PSG, having moved there on a loan deal from Monaco last summer, he also had a fantastic World Cup. He formed an integral part of the French side that eventually went on to win the World Cup. He scored four goals in Russia, including a stunner in the final. For PSG, he scored 21 goals and assisted 15 as PSG went on to have a fairly successful domestic season. While his chances of lifting the Ballon d'Or next year are remote, there is no doubt that he deserves to be on this list.

Number 5: Raphael Varane

France v Croatia - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final

Once one of the most promising youngsters in European football, Raphael Varane has come good on his promise and then some. He is definitely one of the best defenders in the world at this point and his fantastic season with both Real Madrid and the France Football team guaranteed his place here. He and Sergio Ramos formed a solid backline as Real Madrid were successful in defending their Champions League Trophy for a second consecutive year while he partnered Samuel Umtiti with France as they went on to win the World Cup. One thing that counts against him is the fact that he is a defender. Historically, defenders haven't been well recognized with the Ballon d'Or, with only four defensive players being honoured since its inception. However, there can be no denying that he has had a fantastic season and deserves all the accolades coming to him.

Number 4: Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard

While Chelsea did not have the most remarkable Premier League season this time around, failing in their title defence, Eden Hazard managed to catch the eye, scoring 17 goals and assisting 13 around all competitions for Chelsea. He also had a solid World Cup, leading Belgium to a best-ever 3rd place finish. He even won the silver ball in Russia, being the second best player at the world cup. For a long time, he has been mooted as a possible successor to Ronaldo and Messi and there is a very real possibility that he may live up to those expectations as soon as 2019.

Number 3: Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo

Of course, he's here. Despite the fact that he recently completed a move to Juventus, it will be a long time before Ronaldo stops competing for the Ballon d'Or. He had a fantastic season for Real Madrid, rising at the turn of the year to play a pivotal part in Madrid 's third consecutive Champions League Trophy. He also has a fair World Cup, despite being eliminated in the round of 16. His Hat-trick against Spain is another one of those immortal world cup moments. Despite not matching the lofty goalscoring standards set by himself, Ronaldo is definitely in with a shot of winning his 6th Ballon d'Or.

Number 2: Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin de Bruyne

Kevin de Bruyne has enjoyed a meteoric rise, from being rejected by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, to widely being considered as one of the best midfielders in the game today. He enjoyed a hugely successful domestic season with Manchester City, leading the Premier League assist-charts and winning the Premier League itself by a considerable margin over local rivals Manchester United. He was also an integral part of the Belgium side that achieved their best ever finish so far, 3rd place. His success in these competitions, as well as his direct contributions to those successes, make sure that he is a leading contender to lift the Ballon d'Or next year.

Number 1: Luka Modric

Luka Modric

There could be no one else. What a year Luka Modric has had. A third consecutive Champions League crown with Madrid, followed by a stunning string of performances in the World Cup, with him leading underdogs Croatia to the finals in Moscow. This season has definitely cemented his position as the best midfielder in the world in his position and he also won the Golden Ball award at the World Cup. His status as the best player at the World Cup in Russia could also win him the status of 'Best Football Player on the Planet', symbolized by the Ballon d'Or. With a season like his, it's no surprise he's the favourite to lift the vaunted Trophy in Zurich next year.

Comments

Free JAMB Past Questions Available Here (PDF Format)

If you’re preparing to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and will like to make high score, quickly download the free JAMB past questions available below. There is a famous Benjamin Franklin quote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail?” To keep all our JAMBite readers prepared for the 2019 UTME, we have decided to share past questions of 10 subjects we are able to lay our hands on. Check Also:- Jamb cut off mark for all courses Note, 2019 JAMB UTME will be purely CBT, It’s important you Download JAMB CBT Software from Here The JAMB past questions are free and can be downloaded free of charge. Read also:-Scholarships and syllabus Download JAMB Past Questions for Free Click on the subject you want to begin the download process. Biology JAMB Past Questions Chemistry JAMB Past Questions Commerce JAMB Past Questions CRK JAMB Past Questions Economics JAMB Past Questions Government JAMB Past Questions Ma...

EBSU Cut-Off Mark for all Courses (JAMB & UPDATED)

EBSU Cut-Off Mark for all Courses (JAMB & UPDATED Ebonyi State University, EBSU Post UTME Cut-Off Mark for All Courses / Departments for 2020/21/22 academic session. You will also see how EBSU select candidates into her prestigious university for last year. EBSU Cut-off Mark. In 2018, Ebonyi State University (EBSU) only used JAMB scores as a criteria to gain admission into their University. What this means is that, once you reached the cut-off mark they pegged for the courses you’re aspiring for, you will be given admission. Unlike other school’s, last year, EBSU took the bold step to release their cut-off marks for all courses and departments. If they will do the same this year, it will be at least two months after JAMB releases their UTME result. Once they release their cut-off mark for 2019, we will update this page. We will show you the EBSU 2018 cut-off mark for all courses but before we do that, please note that last EBSU also released how they will give candid...

derby day opening Tottenham's new stadium: 'Arsenal in March likely to be first match'

Tottenham supporters may have to wait until March for their new stadium to open. The north London club were due to move into the redeveloped White Hart Lane in September but have been hit by a series of problems. Spurs confirmed last month that their remaining games in 2018 will be played at Wembley, which has been their temporary base since the beginning of last season. They have an agreement in place to stay at the national stadium for the rest of the 2018/19 campaign, but remain insistent it will be ready at some stage this term. And, according to The Times , contractors on the project are working towards two different opening dates – the clash with Manchester United on January 13 and the derby with north London rivals Arsenal on March 2. The report claims that the building companies involved believe the match against Arsenal is the most likely to be the first at the new stadium. Spurs recently announced that their next six home matches will be played at Wembley, up to ...

"90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days": YAY! Michael & Angela From Are Back Together

When the reality tv show “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days” premiered we were all hoping that Michael would ultimately end up with Angela, things didn't necessarily work out that way though. At the end of the show, Angela stormed off when it emerged that 30-year-old Micheal had told his friends that the 52-year-old Angela needed respect as she was his elder. She took off her engagement ring and called it quits with him. Now though, it seems Angela is back. Taking to Instagram, Micael posted a picture of himself and Angela together, captioning the photo: “Welcome back. Angie baby #beforethe90days” So it seems Angela will be getting her Nigerian prince and we will be getting our happily ever after. YAY! Peep the post below:

WHATSAPP HAS A NEW FEATURE - HERE IS WHY YOU SHOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT IT

On April 3, 2019, the instant messaging platform announced plans to give users more control over group chats. This new update will come with a privacy feature that gives users the option of accepting or declining requests to join groups on the app. Prior to this feature, WhatsApp users could be added to any group without their consent. Now, users have control over which groups they want to join. “WhatsApp groups continue to connect family, friends, coworkers, classmates and more. As people turn to groups for important conversations, users have asked for more control over their experience,” the Facebook -owned company said in a statement. “With these new features, users will have more control over the group messages they receive,” WhatsApp added. How to use this new exciting feature To start enjoying WhatsApp’s new privacy settings, all you will have to do is go to the ‘settings’ option on the app. There, you choose one of three options - nobody, my contacts, or everyone. Choosing ...

JAMB 2021 UTME Slip Printing - Monitoring Thread

JA MB has moved the printing of the 2021 UTME exam slip to April 4th, 2021. We will use this thread to monitor and confirm when the printing has commenced. The reprinted slips will bear candidates' schedule for the examination: date, time and centre as well as other necessary information about the examination. According to the board, from April 4th, candidates will have their slips placed on their profiles. However candidates who are unable to access their slips through their portal can visit the board’s service portal,on www.jamb.org.ng to print the slip. We advise candidates to keep a close watch on their email addresses (check inbox, junk/SPAM Folder) since JAMB may send the exam slip notifications to candidates’ email addresses. Once you get a notification to that effect from JAMB or able to print yours, please do not fail to let us know in the comment section so that others can reprint theirs. We expect the direct portal for the printin...

JAMB 2021/22 Exam Recommended Novel is Sweet Sixteen for Use of English – Read & Download Summary Here

JAMB 2021 Recommended Novel for Exam on Use of English – SWEET SIXTEEN (16)-- a coming of age story by Bolaji Abdullahi is the recommended Novel for JAMB UTME use of English. We summarized the novel to enable have clue of the novel before your exam day. Our major interest is your success. Try to go through the summary and as well try getting yours to enable you prepare very well. Sweet Sixteen is an indispensable guide for young adults finding their way through the confusing triangle of the big, wide world. It is indeed an interesting story. I know you may be wondering of the number of pages the novel may have. It is just 157 pages which may not take you more than a week to finish. Also Read; The 2 Compulsory Novels To Be Used For JAMB 2021 Use of English UTME Compulsory Novel: Sweet Sixteen for JAMB 2021/22 English (Summary) Download the Jamb Mobile App for everything you need Sweet 16 that succeeds In Dependence was written by Bolaji Abdullahi and was published on 1st Februa...

The 2 Compulsory Novels To Be Used For JAMB 2021 Use of English

If you have been asking, what are the compulsory novels for Jamb 2021? This article is for you. I will list out the novels to be used for Jamb utme and direct entry Use of English. Now, Jamb has recommended Sweet Sixteen for 2021 candidates to read for Use of English. Click here to see everything about the new Jamb novel . The Jamb use of English comprises of comprehension passages, lexis and structure, Antonyms and synonyms, oral English, grammar test and interpretation. Ever since Jamb introduced the Use of novel in the use of English exams, questions has been set from the compulsory novels. You may be asking, how many questions do they set from the recommended novels? Usually 15 to 35 questions from the compulsory novel (s). Compulsory Novels For Jamb 1. “Sweet Sixteen” by Bolaji Abdullahi for Only UTME Candidates 2. “The Last Days at Forcados High School” by A.H. Mohammed for Only Direct Entry Candidates. According to the instructions, candidates will be tested on these ...

Lionel Messi tells Barcelona favourite to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus

Lionel Messi has told his favourite at Barcelona to sign for Juventus and join Cristiano Ronaldo doing the upcoming summer. Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has been looking for an exit from Catalonia of late, and confirmed to the public that he will be moving to greener pastures during the summer. The Netherlands international wanted to leave last year, but the club did convince him into staying for another season and go next year- and so he did. Jasper Cillessen has served Barcelona critically and endlessly throughout his career and lately, especially in this season, he has proven that he is too good to be second choice and could easily be a regular only if he did not have a mercurial Marc Andre Ter Stegen ahead of him. They bet in the dressing room that Cillessen will stay, but he looks set to leave and wants to play often at 30. Following his most recent remarks regarding his future in Catalonia, Diario GOL has reported that Jasper Cillessen has a foot and a hal...

Manchester United’s Lukaku Admits Barcelona Visit Will Be More Difficult Than PSG

Romelu Lukaku has warned his Manchester United teammates that they will face a tougher test in Barcelona than they did against Paris Saint-Germain in the last round of the Champions League. READ ALSO: Solskjaer Insists Man United Can Beat Barcelona At Camp Nou Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side pulled off an unprecedented comeback in Paris in the round of 16 to set up a tie with the La Liga giants in the quarter finals. United go into the second leg 1 - 0 down after a Luke Shaw own goal in the first half of the first leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. And while Solskjaer's side overturned a 2 - 0 first leg deficit against PSG Lukaku believes they will be in for a tougher test at the Nou Camp. "Barcelona is a whole different team, with all the respect that I have for PSG," Lukaku told French radio station RMC. "We were admittedly really lucky over there on that night. But against Barcelona, it will be much more difficult. There was room to play. But t...

Search This Blog

How to accumulate coinmarketcap Diamonds