Cristiano Ronaldo: A second Ballon d'Or in the offing?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible display in Sweden has all but convinced any remaining skeptics that he is, indeed, the best footballer on the planet right now.

Reports suggest that the voting for the Ballon d’Or, initially closed on November 15, has now been extended to November 29. And while the motivation behind the same is fairly obvious, even if questionable in its own right, there is no doubt that the Real Madrid man deserves the award.

The strength of his performance last night alone is likely to sway votes his way – but one can never really be sure this year, simply because it has been a while since there has been any ambiguity in the matter.

The last four editions have seen Lionel Messi waiting patiently in his seat, already knowing that the night belongs to him. And even if the little maestro has unfailingly highlighted the contributions of his team-mates every time, this is the one night in football where individual ability takes center stage – and everyone present there knew it.

And as good a player as Franck Ribery undoubtedly is, he is a rung below these two titans of the modern game.

His supporters – and there are many of them – will point out that he was the catalyst and architect of the all-conquering Bayern team last season. No disrespect to any of the other shining lights in Bayern colors intended.

The Ballon d’Or is a celebration of individual brilliance – that much can be seen in the way things have panned out in the four years that Messi has taken the coveted prize.

Barcelona may have won the Champions league title in two out of the four years, but the other two years saw Inter Milan (2010) and Chelsea (2012) take home European club football’s biggest prize.

There was a lot of clamor for Wesley Sneijder in the 2009-10 season. The Dutchman had a superb run for Inter Milan, as the Nerazzurri took home the treble under an inspired Jose Mourinho. To top it off, the play-maker was integral to the Netherlands coming agonizingly close to the World Cup crown in South Africa.

Lionel Messi managed 22.65 % of the votes that year, Sneijder coming a distant fourth in the polls with 14.48 % . Now, as amazingly well as Ribery has been doing over the past year, the fact remains that Sneijder had been there, done that, and still fallen short. And he had a run to the World Cup final to boot.

Messi is quite simply a better player, and if you want to be technical about it, yes – he was a better player “over that calendar year”. Even if it was Sneijder’s Inter Milan that were the better team over two legs against Messi’s Barcelona.

We are not here to judge which player’s team did better – that was already a matter of footballing folklore when Jose Mourinho was skidding across the turf in jubilation.

This is about who deserves to be called “the best player in the world” – and every time Messi so shyly lifted the heavy crown the four times he’s been up there, nobody was really in doubt that he deserved to be up there.

Everyone except Cristiano Ronaldo, that is.

But before we get to him, give me a minute to reflect on the Champions League winner in 2012. Forgotten about them, have we? As resplendent as Didier Drogba was on that night in Munich, Chelsea huffed and puffed their way to a shock win – not just in the final, but against a desperately unlucky Barcelona previously.

Don’t get me wrong – what Chelsea accomplished was remarkable. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Trying to dance with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern will only end in abject humiliation.

And if you don’t believe me, just ask Sir Alex Ferguson. The old master will not want to remember too much from the two finals his side lost against Barcelona.

Ronaldo himself was part of the side that lost 2-0 to the Catalans in the Stadio Olymipico in Rome. And it will certainly have influenced his decision to trade red for white – make no mistake about that.

That he wanted to make the move a year previously is very well-known. But a little known incident, in the aftermath of the final in Rome, shows the Portuguese had already made up his mind.

Sir Alex had instructed his players to leave the stadium perfectly dressed – blazers and ties in order. Everyone complied, except Ronaldo. There was no tie, his shirt was unbuttoned and the man looked disinterested in the proceedings around him.

In his mind, he was no longer a United player.

His seamless adaptation to life in Spain has all been borne out of the burning desire to win everything. Nicknamed “cry-baby” in his childhood, for the tears and tantrums that would inevitably follow a defeat on the pitch, the Portuguese is a force of nature who lives and breathes the game.

He is much the same today, just as emotional and hurt at every loss – but the ultimate, consummate professional who will be at the training ground the next morning.

It is a dedication that has yet to bear dividends in his eyes. But the world is coming around to just how incredible a player this man truly is – performances like the one we saw last night converting his staunch haters, who unfailingly point to his arrogance and attitude.

Haters be damned, it makes no difference to Ronaldo. He once said that “your love makes me strong, your hate – unstoppable”. And he is one of the few who means it.

Even Jose Mourinho, with whom he never really saw eye-to-eye, recently offered the olive branch when he said that working with Ronaldo had been “the greatest privilege” of his career.

No prizes for guessing which way his vote is going.

The votes of those who matter may very well reflect the same, and it will be a victory well deserved. I, for one, hope that should Ronaldo lift the prize, he should celebrate on stage with what has now become his signature celebration.

A thump of the chest, followed by his fingers pointing downward as if to say “I’m here, right here, right now”.

Right here, right now, he’s pretty much the ultimate footballer. And that deserves a crown, don’t you think?

PS – do not be too surprised if the man actually does celebrate like this, should he win.

It ain’t bragging if you can back it up, people.