Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro : He Who Must Be Named.

His time has come.

"I don’t want to talk about the Golden Ball, I just do what I do out on the pitch; the decision is not up to me."

-Cristiano Ronaldo

The FIFA Ballon d’Or award has become a tad monotonous over the last 5 years or so, as it has effectively been reduced to a personal tussle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The last 4 years have seen Messi clinch the trophy with Ronaldo just falling short.  Mere statistics will tell us that Ronaldo has conjured majestic performances in these last four years, deserving to be called the Best in the world but it pales in comparison to Messi’s out-of-the-world performances combined with the continued success of the footballing juggernaut called FC Barcelona. Fans of the former Manchester United winger have become so disgruntled with this trend that rumours of a conspiracy against Ronaldo have often been propagated.

Two Of A Kind

2013 has provided us with a sudden shift in the balance of power. Messi, after reaching dizzying heights in 2012(91 goals in a calendar year), has had a dismal 2013. Afflicted with recurring thigh injuries and with off-field controversies having toned down his performances this year, the diminutive Argentine looks all set to lose his stranglehold over the Ballon d’Or trophy this year. Ronaldo on the other hand has outdone himself this year, almost galvanised by Messi’s indifferent form as he looks to come out of his shadow. He has been a goal scoring machine since the start of the year and is all set to continue in this rich scoring vein till the year reaches its climax. If one were to bet on a player to win a game of football single-handedly in 2013, the natural choice has to be Ronaldo. For the first time since leaving Old Trafford, Ronaldo has been unrivalled in his performances.

Messi has often cut a forlorn figure on the bench,saddled with injury

"I don't know if Cristiano Ronaldo is at his peak but he is always there scoring goals in all the games and taking part in his club and national side. He has been doing that for many years and whether he is at his peak or a bit less makes no difference."

-Lionel Messi

Ronaldo has been a beast in front of the goal and his numbers speak for themselves. Right-footers, Left footers, headers, free kicks- his goals have come in every form a scorer can hope to score.

·         67 goals in 2013.

His 67 goals so far this year have come from just 55 matches. . Last year he managed a return of 63 goals, coming from 71 appearances. He has scored more goals than Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea this year. He has also scored more than Frank Ribery and Lionel Messi combined (64).

·         32 goals in 2013-14 season

Ronaldo looks like a man on a mission this season with 32 goals from 22 appearances and its only November! That is nearly an average of 1.5 goals per game. Rivals beware…

·         8 goals in 4 champions league matches this season

With 2 goals per match, Ronaldo looks set to beat the the record of highest scorer in the group stages of Chamions league of 8 goals currently being shared by Hernan Crespo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and Fillippo Inzaghi.

·         8 hat-tricks in 2013

Ronaldo has so far managed six hat-tricks for Madrid in 2013, and two for Portugal. He had previously never managed a hat-trick for his country but now got 2 with the most important being the one that booked their place at World Cup next year at the expense of Sweden. He has now scored 23 hat-tricks for Real Madrid. When at Manchester United, he only managed  one hat-trick.

·         Ronaldo equaled the record goals tally for Portugal

Ronaldo’s fine scoring form has brought him level with the country's record goal-scorer Pauleta. They are both now on 47 goals, and it won't take long for Ronaldo to pass this mark.

Ronaldo: Head and shoulders above the rest this year

Ronaldo’s real challenge to the Ballon d’Or crown will come from Frank Ribery who has been rather busy advocating his own claim to the prestigious trophy for his role in Bayern’s treble winning season. Football is a team-game and the performance of the team does count to elect the World’s best player but Bayern owe their success to the combined effort of their entire team assembled by Jupp Heynkes. Phillip Lahm, Arjen Robben, Javi Martinez, Thomas Meuller, Manuel Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger were equally instrumental. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has been the sole shining light for Real during their stuttering start to the campaign and carries the hopes of his nation almost entirely on his shoulders.

Ribery was pivotal in Bayern winning the Champions League

So, in a nutshell, why Ronaldo should win the Ballon d’Or this season?

Firstly, his goal scoring prowess is unmatched this year and also his ability to influence the outcome of a game. Secondly, awarding Messi a fifth straight trophy will diminish the prestige of the award since it’ll then seem as if it is awarded based more on reputation than performance. FIFA’s decision to extend the voting timeline the very next day after Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Sweden will only further help to establish Roanldo’s claim to the prize on the back of that scintillating performance. Thirdly, it’ll represent the much needed shift in balance in the footballing world. Ronaldo and Messi represent the Yin and Yang of football with a rivalry unparalleled with both pushing each other to perform to their limit and even beyond. With the World Cup coming up, it will set the stage for an exciting 2014 where the two best players in the world will look to tilt the balance in their favour in their quest for silverware with club and country. All the more reason for football fans across the globe to smile. 

Ronaldo circa 2007-08 : Could this happen again?

-
Gaurav Mishra -
follow  me on Twitter at  @GM_Barca
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