5 defenders in the current era who deserve the Ballon d'Or

#4 - Marcelo:

Real Madrid CF v Getafe CF - La Liga

Marcelo is quite simply the best left back in the world. And if there was any doubt about it, then the Brazilian successfully managed to prove all his critics wrong following, arguably, his best season ever in 2016/2017, where he was instrumental in Real Madrid's quest to claim the Spanish league and the Champions League.

Marcelo has stood out throughout the whole campaign, but especially towards the second half of the season, where cups are literally won or lost. Against FC Bayern in the quarterfinals of Europe's elite competition, the 29-year old displayed one of the best performances ever, as he shut-down Dutch star Arjen Robben at the Santiago Bernabéu, while providing the finest offensive support to his teammates.

Cristiano Ronaldo might have scored a hat-trick, but only few would doubt that without Marcelo, the Spanish giants would have probably not even made it to the semi-finals, let alone claim the title. Marcelo ended that season with 2 goals and 13 assists, which effectively highlights the brilliant campaign that he had.