The finalists have been announced for the Ballon d'Or, and to the surprise of almost nobody, Cristiano Ronaldo is among them. The Real Madrid superstar is one of three finalists, with the other two being Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer.
Xabi Alonso Backs Neuer For Ballon d'Or
Much like the Heisman Trophy in college football, the Ballon d'Or, which is awarded to the FIFA Player of the Year, candidates list starts with a multitude of names (this year it was 23) before being pared down to a select few finalists. The ceremony for the presentation of the award will be held in Zurich on January 12, 2015.
According to media reports, Cristiano Ronaldo is considered the favorite to win the award when the trophy is handed out next month. He is the reigning player of the year, and it would mark Ronaldo's third time in his career that he won the award.
Ronaldo Eyeing Messi's Goals Record
Unless Neuer wins, the award will be staying with familiar hands, as Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the award for the past half-decade. One of the two players has won it every year since 2008, with Ronaldo winning in 2008 and 2013, and Messi winning it four consecutive times form 2009-2012.
Neuer would be only the second goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or trophy, with the previous one being Lev Yashin in 1963. Neuer is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the world, but the award still generally goes to goal scorers.
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