Goalkeepers rarely get major recognition in personal awards. They have arguably the most important position on the pitch, but get less chances to showcase their talent on truly elite teams.
This is quandary that faces Manuel Neuer in his Ballon d'Or bid. The German netminder plays for two teams that rarely give up chances, thus limiting his abilities to show off. He still makes splendid saves and won major tournaments in 2014.
But is this enough to win the coveted individual trophy?
Lionel Messi won four straight Ballon d'Or trophies between 2010 and 2013 before watching injuries, coupled by a strong goalscoring surge from his rival, impede him from winning a fifth straight award. But now Messi has a huge chance to reclaim the title in 2014. But can he do it?
A year ago, Cristiano Ronaldo broke Lionel Messi's streak of four-straight Ballon d'Or awards. It was actually a rather shocking turnaround as many expected Franck Ribery to finish first after leading Bayern Munich to the treble. Messi had a solid year but had been struggling with injury, while Ronaldo won no trophies. However, the Portuguese superstar turned things around in a hurry and put together one of the finest finishes to the end of the year. In fact, his performances forced FIFA to alter the voting deadline dates and his four goal performance against Sweden in the World Cup playoffs solidified him as the front-runner for the spot.
Ronaldo finished the 2013 calendar year with a whopping 69 goals for both club and country, a full 24 ahead of his rival Messi. Has Ronaldo put enough distance from his rival to claim a second straight Ballon d'Or?
The Ballon d'Or is a rather odd award. For starters, being a forward and scoring goals is the best way to win the trophy. Defenders rarely get the award, but Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois is establishing himself as the cream of the goaltending crop around the world and was just given his first crack at the Ballon d'Or. But is he along for the ride? Or could the award be in his future?
The Ballon d'Or voting is only a few months away and there are already some major frontrunners to land the award. Here are the top favorites to win it all.
