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A new season of footballing action is upon us as games are coming thick and fast in every top European league. Transfer window in England is shut and other leagues across Europe have few more days remaining to finalize their team for the new season.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the Ballon d’Or award this decade and the duo lifted 10 awards between them so far. No player was able to break their dominance in world football for quite some time and only finished behind these two stalwarts.
However, Messi and Ronaldo aren’t the only great footballers in world football right now. The fact that they played at the right club and the right managers have helped their cause. Many of the greatest players in world football have missed out on the award in the past few years and some are extremely unlucky.
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Some of them could have won it had they represented a different club. Looking into the future, let’s take a look a look at the players who can win the Ballon d’Or award if they play at a different club instead of their current one.
#5 Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
The Three Lions Captain is one of the most prolific goal scorers in the world. The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner has been in stunning form for Tottenham Hotspur and England over the past few years.
Harry Kane also won the Golden Boot in the 2018 World Cup and finished each of his last three Premier League seasons with at least 25 goals. In his last 189 games for Tottenham Hotspur, the 25-year-old has scored an impressive 136 goals.
A supremely consistent scorer, Kane’s biggest strengths are his precision and placement with his shots. He is also phenomenal with his hold-up play and close control.
Tottenham struggled to win trophies and that has hindered Kane’s chance of winning the Ballon d’Or award so far. A move to some of the top European clubs will enhance his chances of a Ballon d'Or award.
#4 Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
The Atletico Madrid forward is one of the best attacking players in world football at the moment. Griezmann has been exceptional for Atletico Madrid and scored 112 goals in 209 games for the Los Rojiblancos.
The 27-year-old has won few trophies with Atletico Madrid, but the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona did not help his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or award.
He finished in third place, behind Messi as Ronaldo, in the 2016 Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player awards. Griezmann played a stellar role in France’s successful 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign and led them to their second title.
There were a lot of speculations in the past linking him to Barcelona and Manchester, but, none of them materialized.
#3 Paul Pogba, Manchester United
Another World Cup winner on this list. Paul Pogba’s 2017/18 campaign for Manchester United wasn’t a great one by his standards, but he was mighty impressive for France in the 2018 World Cup. He led them to glory and also scored a goal in the finals.
Primarily a central midfielder, the Frenchman can occupy several positions and even attacking ones. A powerful and strong player, Pogba is known for his technique, dribbling, passing range, work rate, and vision. Also, his ability to go past players at will has been praised a lot.
The 25-year-old has scored 11 goals and assisted 14 more in his last two Premier League seasons. With his great abilities, Pogba can certainly make any team in the world look better. If he can make his much-speculated move to Barcelona in the near future, he is certainly a top candidate to win the Ballon d’Or award.
#2 Neymar, PSG
Neymar finished only behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2017 Ballon d’Or award. Though he was impressive, he could not dislodge the Portuguese and Argentine duo.
Neymar’s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or award 2018 looks close to impossible at the moment. After his world record €222 million move to Paris Saint-Germain, the Brazilian international failed to inspire his side in the UEFA Champions League.
Also, Brazil failed to qualify for the semifinals of the World Cup and Neymar’s chances of a Ballon d'Or award this year are very slim. Though he is arguably the next best thing in football after Messi and Ronaldo right now, his chances of winning the prestigious award will increase manyfold if he moves to a club like Real Madrid.
#1 Eden Hazard, Chelsea
The Belgian international was the hero of his national team during the 2018 World Cup as Belgium finished third in the competition. With three goals and two assists, he was one of the best players in the tournament.
Hazard has scored 28 goals and assisted nine more in the Premier League for Chelsea during the past two seasons. Hazard’s best finish in the Ballon d’Or was 8th, which he achieved in 2015.
Three-time Chelsea Player of the Year and the 2014/15 Premier League Player of the Season, is at the peak of his career right now. A technically gifted player, the 27-year-old is regarded a lot for his pace, dribbling, and great finishing. Chelsea’s lack of European silverware has limited Hazard’s chances of a Ballon d’Or award.
