Ballon d'Or 2018: Ranking the top 5 contenders based on their performances during the year

#1. Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese ran riot in the UEFA Champions League once again

There is no way this list will be complete without mentioning new Juventus signing, Cristiano Ronaldo. The attacker has been the most dominant player on the planet in each of the past 3 seasons and his performances during the year suggest he is still a fierce contender for the Ballon d'Or accolade this term.

The Portuguese was in a league of his own in the UEFA Champions League last season, running riot on his way to helping Real Madrid achieve another successful European campaign as well as bagging an unbelievable 15 goals and 3 assists to his name in the process.

The all-time scorer of the competition, Ronaldo also became the first superstar to score in 10 successive games in the European tournament as well as the very first person to finish on top of the goalscoring chart for six straight years in a row.

The attacker couldn't just stop scoring and he ensured the FIFA World Cup also witnessed his incredible talent in front of goal, with 4 impressive efforts in 4 appearances which was enough to push Portugal into the knockout phase of the tournament in Russia - not to mention his brilliant 26 goals and 5 assists in 27 games during the La Liga campaign.

Memorable Mentions: Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Sergio Ramos, Ivan Rakitic, Diego Godin, Kevin De Bruyne, Neymar Junior.

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About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Nishant Jayaram