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Despite having the worst start for a striker in the 2017-18 season, going goalless for more than 5 games, Cristiano Ronaldo finished above Luis Suarez in goals by the end of La Liga, playing five fewer games than the Urugyuan.
Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus did not seem feasible at first, but it was sure that he is about to leave. Many considered him switching back to Manchester United or Sporting CP, but he chose a different challenge altogether.
He won his fifth and final Champions League trophy with Real Madrid, as the Portuguese bid goodbye to his former fans.
Well, this article contains the 3 reasons why Ronaldo is likely to win the Ballon'dOr for a record six-times and let's discuss the probability of him winning it over the likes of Leo Messi, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, etc.
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#4 UCL Top scorer
Unsurprisingly enough, Cristiano Ronaldo has again ended his UCL campaign with the most goals scored. In the last decade, Cristiano has finished as the top scorer for SEVEN times. This is consistency at its best.
He scores goals with ease at the biggest sporting level but suffers to score against mid-table Spanish teams though. The full form of UCL is more like 'UEFA Cristiano League' as the 33-year-old dominates in every single campaign.
He scored 15 goals in this season's UCL, bagging 3 assists as well. The second highest is Firmino from Liverpool, scoring 10 goals, which is 5 fewer than Cristiano. Champions League campaign hardly lasts for more than 13 games, and in that short time span, Ronaldo manages to have a lead of 5 goals, which is insane.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the Champions League history, and there is no denying it.
#3 Second highest scorer in the World Cup 2018
Portugal did not have a persuasive campaign at the World Cup. People expected more from the Euro 2017 Champions, but they were no match to Uruguay in the Round of 16. Ronaldo played his part well, but the other forwards did not impress much, and as a result, Portugal was out early in the tournament.
Apparently, people expected more from Ronaldo.
Cristiano scored four goals in 4 games at the World Cup, being the second highest goalscorer, along with Griezmann, Lukaku, Mbappe, and Cheryshev. The one man to beat them all was Harry Kane; scored six goals in 4 appearances for England at the World Cup.
Ronaldo, individually, did try his best to take Portugal to World Cup glory, but his form was not a match for Uruguay. 4 goals in 4 games at the World Cup is indeed a significant achievement, and this might play a small yet useful part in deciding who should be winning the Ballon'dOr.
#2 No World Cup honor for Leo Messi
This point is a little bit controversial, however, it is true and effectual. Messi has not won the Champions League and he has failed to lead Argentina till the later stages of the tournament. He has scored a goal and assisted two at the World Cup, but it was unfortunately insufficient.
The group stage games were a disaster for Argentina, luckily gaining a point from the game against Iceland and losing 3 goals to nil against Croatia. Croatia was pretty underrated, and they stunned every team they played against.
It was a horror show back at Russia for the Argentine players, with Messi failing to convert chances against the runner-ups. Their only win came against Nigeria, winning 2-1; goals scored by Messi and Rojo.
It was an unsatisfactory campaign by Messi and his countrymen, and this might be a crucial point in deciding who wins the Ballon'dOr. No World Cup glory for Messi means that Ronaldo is a step ahead of Messi in the Ballon'dOr rankings, as the latter has won the UEFA Champions League; something which is considered more valuable than the domestic double.
#1 Champions League Glory
As I said earlier, a Champions League trophy is rated above a domestic double, and this makes Ronaldo a clear-cut favorite to win the Ballon'dOr. One can claim that Real Madrid has carried Ronaldo through the La Liga games, but UCL has been totally vice-versa.
Ronaldo has scored in every group game in the Champions League, being the first man to do so, and his contributions for the Bernabeu outfit is incomparable.
Though he was not as good in the semifinals and finals of the Champions League, his goals in the earlier stages of the tournament have saved Real Madrid abundant times. Ronaldo with Real Madrid has won 3 back to back UCL trophies, making it a total of 5 in his 9 years of absolute brilliance and magic for the Los Blancos side.
As I said before, a Champions League trophy gives him a definite step ahead of the likes of Mbappe, Griezmann, and Messi, to win the Ballon'dOr 2018.
The nine substantial years he has played for the Bernabeu is enough to determine his greatness in the footballing world, as the Portuguese broke records in profusion in that time span.
