Top 10 players most likely to break the Messi-Ronaldo Ballon Record
Since 2008, the Ballon d’Or award has been a straight shoot-out between two of football’s greatest ever players with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi taking it in turns to take the shiny trophy home with them.
In what has become a personal battle for the ages, Messi currently leads the way for Ballon d’Or wins with five to Ronaldo’s four but the Real Madrid star has claimed three of the last four and is the odds-on favourite to win it again this year.
In the years that have followed Ronaldo’s first win in 2008, eight other players have made it onto the shortlist only to inevitably finish behind one of or both of the two superstars. In fact, 2010 was the only year in which one of them wasn’t shortlisted, with Ronaldo losing out to Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, after the latter two won the World Cup with Spain.

For anyone who has been shortlisted in recent years, it must have been a fairly despondent experience. Sure, being recognised as one of the three best footballers in the whole world is pretty cool, but they would have sat there in their designer suits knowing full well that 3rd place would be as good as it would get.
Considering their form and influence in trophy-winning teams, Ronaldo and Messi’s duopoly of the award could well go on for a few years yet but which players are in contention to lift the next Ballon d’Or in the post-Ronaldo/Messi era? Here are ten candidates ranked by their chances of winning the thing.
10. Isco
Teams: Real Madrid & Spain
Age: 25
Historically at Real Madrid, team selection has been, at least in part, dictated by which player cost the most, regardless of how well they happen to be playing or how well other players in that position happen to be playing at that particular time.
It is why it took Isco nearly three years to finally establish himself in the starting XI with players such as Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez shoehorned into the side at his expense. Under Zinedine Zidane, though, Isco has thrived, becoming virtually undroppable.
Zidane even altered his tactics to accommodate Isco, shifting Cristiano Ronaldo into a central striker position in order to play a midfield diamond with the Spaniard at the tip. A key player for Real and Spain, Isco has as strong a claim as most to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.
9. Romelu Lukaku
Teams: Manchester United & Belgium
Age: 24
Long tipped for greatness after breaking into the Anderlecht team by the tender age of 16, Romelu Lukaku has proven himself as one of the most prolific strikers in the English game over the past four seasons.
Last term was his best in front of goal as he struck 25 Premier League goals in an Everton side that finished 7th in the table and his form led to a move to Manchester United where he has made an impressively fast start, continuing where he left off with the Toffees.
Should Lukaku maintain his current goalscoring form over the course of a couple of seasons for United he might well be regarded as one of the world’s best in his position and in an award dominated by forward players, he could, therefore, have a chance of winning it.
8. Marco Asensio
Teams: Real Madrid & Spain
Age: 21
Very few players force their way into first-team reckoning at Real Madrid at the age of 21 but that is exactly what Marco Asensio managed to do last year, becoming an influential squad player in Zidane’s all-conquering side.
Asensio took everything in his stride last season and popped up with crucial goals at important times during Real’s season with the pinnacle coming in the Champions League final as he scored the fourth and final goal.
A mesmerising player to watch due to his ability to ghost past challenges and score outrageous goals with his wand of a left foot, Asensio (alongside Isco) looks to be the man that Spain and Real will build around over the next decade.
7. Harry Kane
Teams: Tottenham & England
Age: 24
No English player has won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen managed it in 2001 in what was an admittedly far from vintage year.
Of the current generation of English players, Harry Kane looks to be the most likely candidate to end that wait, particularly given his outstanding form this calendar year. At the time of writing, only Lionel Messi (45) has outscored Kane (36) at club level in 2017.
Not only is Kane a world-class poacher and goalscorer, he is adding new elements to his game with each season and seemingly possesses the elite mentality required to become a global superstar.
6. Paul Pogba
Teams: Manchester United & France
Age: 24
Currently sidelined through injury, Paul Pogba had made a blistering start to the season and was making his critics eat their words with a series of influential, all-action displays from central midfield.
Although he is often criticised for not scoring or assisting enough goals, Pogba was doing both at the start of the campaign and if he can continue to have an influence in the final third upon his return, his claims to be the most complete midfield player in the world would be strengthened tenfold.
Quite simply, there isn’t much that Pogba can’t do: he can pass the ball majestically, win the ball through tackles and interceptions, evade challenges through a moment of skill and spring from box-to-box with his pace and athleticism.
5. Eden Hazard
Teams: Chelsea & Belgium
Age: 26
When Eden Hazard spearheaded Chelsea’s Premier League title-win in 2015, he, alongside Neymar, was regarded as the third-best player in the world and one of the most likely candidates to break the Messi and Ronaldo duopoly.
Then came the downturn when Hazard’s form fell off a cliff the following season as the Blues inexplicably tumbled from 1st to 10th. The links with Real Madrid dried up and so too did talk of Hazard as a future Ballon d’Or winner.
However, last season he was back to his best as Chelsea reclaimed the title and if he avoids another year-long slump and perhaps captains Belgium’s golden generation to a first-ever trophy, he could well find himself in a string position to win the award.
4. Kylian Mbappe
Teams: PSG & France
Age: 18
Remember how deadly and unstoppable the original Ronaldo was in the formative years of his career? Well, that’s exactly what Kylian Mbappe is like, an irresistible mix of pace, fearlessness, composure, technique and finishing ability.
At the age of 18, Mbappe has already played a starring role in a title-winning team at Monaco last season and is on course to become the second most expensive player in the world when PSG turn his loan move permanent next season.
If he isn’t already world class, he’s very close to becoming so, which is frightening given how young he is.
3. Antoine Griezmann
Teams: Atletico Madrid & France
Age: 26
Last year’s third best player according to the Ballon d’Or, Antoine Griezmann enjoyed a sensational year from a personal point of view but was a beaten finalist in both the Champions League and Euro 2016.
For a player of his ability, it is criminal that the only trophies he has to show for his career so far are a Segunda Division with Real Sociedad and a Spanish Supercopa with Atletico and that lack of success might hinder his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.
Without wishing to disrespect Atletico Madrid who are a great club, Griezmann might need a move if he is to become the world’s best. There would be no shortage of takers if he were to depart.
2. Paulo Dybala
Teams: Juventus & Argentina
Age: 23
Since joining Juventus from Palermo in 2015, Paulo Dybala has developed rapidly, going from one the most highly-rated talents in Italian football to a genuine world superstar.
During his two full seasons, Dybala has played a prominent role in back-to-back Serie A and Coppa Italia wins, but he has also starred in the Champions League too, scoring twice against Barcelona in the quarters to help send his side through to the final.
Regarded as the long-term heir to Messi for the Argentine national team due to their similar styles of play, Dybala is certainly on the path to greatness and a future Ballon d’Or win is by no means out of the question.
1. Neymar
Teams: PSG & Brazil
Age: 25
Unquestionably the favourite when it comes to winning the next Ballon d’Or, Neymar finished 3rd in 2015 after playing a key role in Barcelona’s treble win that season.
Neymar has the personality and unique talent to win the award and now has the stage to flourish as his team’s most important player after leaving Barcelona for PSG to escape Messi’s shadow.
It’s a matter of time before Neymar breaks Pele’s decades-long goal record for Brazil and if he can inspire PSG to a first Champions League title, the Ballon d’Or will be his for the taking.
Since 2008, the Ballon d’Or award has been a straight shoot-out between two of football’s greatest ever players with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi taking it in turns to take the shiny trophy home with them.
In what has become a personal battle for the ages, Messi currently leads the way for Ballon d’Or wins with five to Ronaldo’s four but the Real Madrid star has claimed three of the last four and is the odds-on favourite to win it again this year.
In the years that have followed Ronaldo’s first win in 2008, eight other players have made it onto the shortlist only to inevitably finish behind one of or both of the two superstars. In fact, 2010 was the only year in which one of them wasn’t shortlisted, with Ronaldo losing out to Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, after the latter two won the World Cup with Spain.
For anyone who has been shortlisted in recent years, it must have been a fairly despondent experience. Sure, being recognised as one of the three best footballers in the whole world is pretty cool, but they would have sat there in their designer suits knowing full well that 3rd place would be as good as it would get.
Considering their form and influence in trophy-winning teams, Ronaldo and Messi’s duopoly of the award could well go on for a few years yet but which players are in contention to lift the next Ballon d’Or in the post-Ronaldo/Messi era? Here are ten candidates ranked by their chances of winning the thing.
10. Isco
Teams: Real Madrid & Spain
Age: 25
Historically at Real Madrid, team selection has been, at least in part, dictated by which player cost the most, regardless of how well they happen to be playing or how well other players in that position happen to be playing at that particular time.
It is why it took Isco nearly three years to finally establish himself in the starting XI with players such as Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez shoehorned into the side at his expense. Under Zinedine Zidane, though, Isco has thrived, becoming virtually undroppable.
Zidane even altered his tactics to accommodate Isco, shifting Cristiano Ronaldo into a central striker position in order to play a midfield diamond with the Spaniard at the tip. A key player for Real and Spain, Isco has as strong a claim as most to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.
9. Romelu Lukaku
Teams: Manchester United & Belgium
Age: 24
Long tipped for greatness after breaking into the Anderlecht team by the tender age of 16, Romelu Lukaku has proven himself as one of the most prolific strikers in the English game over the past four seasons.
Last term was his best in front of goal as he struck 25 Premier League goals in an Everton side that finished 7th in the table and his form led to a move to Manchester United where he has made an impressively fast start, continuing where he left off with the Toffees.
Should Lukaku maintain his current goalscoring form over the course of a couple of seasons for United he might well be regarded as one of the world’s best in his position and in an award dominated by forward players, he could, therefore, have a chance of winning it.
8. Marco Asensio
Teams: Real Madrid & Spain
Age: 21
Very few players force their way into first-team reckoning at Real Madrid at the age of 21 but that is exactly what Marco Asensio managed to do last year, becoming an influential squad player in Zidane’s all-conquering side.
Asensio took everything in his stride last season and popped up with crucial goals at important times during Real’s season with the pinnacle coming in the Champions League final as he scored the fourth and final goal.
A mesmerising player to watch due to his ability to ghost past challenges and score outrageous goals with his wand of a left foot, Asensio (alongside Isco) looks to be the man that Spain and Real will build around over the next decade.
7. Harry Kane
Teams: Tottenham & England
Age: 24
No English player has won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen managed it in 2001 in what was an admittedly far from vintage year.
Of the current generation of English players, Harry Kane looks to be the most likely candidate to end that wait, particularly given his outstanding form this calendar year. At the time of writing, only Lionel Messi (45) has outscored Kane (36) at club level in 2017.
Not only is Kane a world-class poacher and goalscorer, he is adding new elements to his game with each season and seemingly possesses the elite mentality required to become a global superstar.
6. Paul Pogba
Teams: Manchester United & France
Age: 24
Currently sidelined through injury, Paul Pogba had made a blistering start to the season and was making his critics eat their words with a series of influential, all-action displays from central midfield.
Although he is often criticised for not scoring or assisting enough goals, Pogba was doing both at the start of the campaign and if he can continue to have an influence in the final third upon his return, his claims to be the most complete midfield player in the world would be strengthened tenfold.
Quite simply, there isn’t much that Pogba can’t do: he can pass the ball majestically, win the ball through tackles and interceptions, evade challenges through a moment of skill and spring from box-to-box with his pace and athleticism.
5. Eden Hazard
Teams: Chelsea & Belgium
Age: 26
When Eden Hazard spearheaded Chelsea’s Premier League title-win in 2015, he, alongside Neymar, was regarded as the third-best player in the world and one of the most likely candidates to break the Messi and Ronaldo duopoly.
Then came the downturn when Hazard’s form fell off a cliff the following season as the Blues inexplicably tumbled from 1st to 10th. The links with Real Madrid dried up and so too did talk of Hazard as a future Ballon d’Or winner.
However, last season he was back to his best as Chelsea reclaimed the title and if he avoids another year-long slump and perhaps captains Belgium’s golden generation to a first-ever trophy, he could well find himself in a string position to win the award.
