The Ballon d’Or is the award given to the best player in the world. This year 30 players have been nominated although it is likely to go to one of the big two. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only winners of the award in its current form. You need to go back to 2007 to find a different winner when Kaka topped Ronaldo and Messi – who finished second and third respectively.
And the pair are expected to head the votes again this year with Ronaldo winning the Champions League and La Liga double in May. Ronaldo is the big favourite but we’ll find out later today if he’s drawn level with Messi. he 62nd edition Ballon d’Or will be held on Thursday, December 7.
The ceremony kicks-off at 6.45pm GMT, 7.45pm local time. Held in Paris. Cristiano Ronaldo is the big favourite after another stunning year. If he is victorious he will join Lionel Messi on five Ballon d’Ors. Similarly, if Messi comes second, he will join Ronaldo on five second places. Last year Neymar came third and he may do again.
Ronaldo is expected to pick up his fifth gong following his Champions League success. He will draw level with great rival Lionel Messi on five awards, having also finished second on five occasions. Pictures of a pair of Nike books have emerged with the wording ‘Quinto Triumfo’, or ‘fifth triumph’ inscribed on the heel and the years of each Ronaldo’s successes on the insole.
Ronaldo also picked up the FIFA Player of the Year award in London and this week became the first player to score in all six Champions League group games despite his struggles in La Liga.
The Ballon d’Or is held by French Football magazine and they ask 173 journalists from all over the world to vote.
The full Ballon d’Or shortlist
Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain
N’Golo Kante – Chelsea
Luka Modric – Real Madrid
Paulo Dybala – Juventus
Marcelo – Real Madrid
Edin Dzeko – Roma
Harry Kane – Tottenham
David De Gea – Manchester United
Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City
Karim Benzema – Real Madrid
Pierre-Emerick Aubemyang – Borussia Dortmund
Edinson Cavani – Paris Saint-Germain
Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool
Luis Suarez – Barcelona
Jan Oblak – Atletico Madrid
Sergio Ramos – Real Madrid
Dries Mertens – Napoli
Radamel Falcao – Monaco
Sadio Mane – Liverpool
Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus
Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid
Toni Kroos – Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid
Eden Hazard – Chelsea
Leonardo Bonucci – AC Milan
Isco – Real Madrid
Lionel Messi – Barcelona
Mats Hummels – Bayern Munich
Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi is reportedly furious Cristiano Ronaldo is set to beat him to the Ballon d’Or tonight. The Barcelona ace is aware that Ronaldo is the favourite for the 2017 Ballon d’Or in Paris. If Ronaldo does win he will go level with Messi on five awards – more than any other player in history. But Messi doesn’t think Ronaldo deserves it, according to Spanish publication Diario Gol.
Messi is said to think Ronaldo has benefited from having a strong support team and believes the Portugal star has gone missing in big games. While he believes he’s had to carry Barcelona – who looked to be sinking last season – and still has more goals than Ronaldo.
Credit: Express sport
