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In the 62-year history of the Ballon d'Or, never has it seen the kind of domination that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have wrought over the last decade.
An award that has been won by all-time greats like Michel Platini (3), Franz Beckenbauer (2), Alfredo Stefano (2) has become a plaything for the eternal duo. Messi and Ronaldo have also been undoubtedly the greatest footballers ever to play in La Liga.
Such has been the dominance of these two footballing legends that the main focus for the Ballon d'Or discussions over the last decade has been the identity of the third best player in the world.
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Various world-class talents like Xavi (3), Fernando Torres, Andres Iniesta, Franck Ribery among others have had to watch from below as Messi and Ronaldo have swapped the 1st & 2nd positions ten times in ten years.
However, like every other good thing, these two legends are slowly approaching the twilight of their careers. Given the quality of players in La Liga not named Messi/Ronaldo, it is easy to infer that the league's production of Ballon d'Or winners (21 in total) isn't going to end anytime soon.
Here is a look at five top-class La Liga-based talents who stand a chance of winning the prestigious award in the nearest future.
#5 Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid)
The most talked about name in goalkeeping circles in world football, the Slovenian shot-stopper has shown enough since joining Atletico Madrid that he has everything it takes.
Fresh from winning the Europa League title last season, Atletico Madrid's manager Diego Simeone would by now be sick and tired about the constant speculation about his numero uno goalie but due to his star quality, there is no hiding place for the genius of the Slovenian shot-stopper.
An excellent shot-stopper who commands his defence efficiently and is able to initiate counter attacks with his long kicks and throws, Oblak is a goalkeeper with very few weaknesses and yet, it is frightening to note that he has not yet peaked.
He has the ability, the mental strength, and the confidence to become one of the greatest goalies of this generation and may just become the first goalie to win the prestigious award
His goalkeeping went up a notch last season and Atleti will be desperate to hang on to him if they wish to take the final step up and keep winning titles.
#4 Ousmane Dembélé (FC Barcelona)
With pace to burn, dribbling skills for days and an unpredictability that always leaves defenders guessing, Dembélé is one of the most promising young talents of the current U-25 generation.
The youngster’s ascent to the pinnacle of football has been nothing short of rapid and it seems to be a journey that is set to culminate in being crowned the world’s premier footballer.
Amazingly, this is just his third full season as a professional footballer and there is a sense around the young man that his ceiling will approach that of the very best child prodigies who have gone on to become leading world-class talents.
Ever since he made his debut for French club side; Rennes in 2015, Ligue 1 observers had begun to sing the praises of the skinny lad who was leaving experienced defenders trailing in his wake.
In his first season as a professional footballer, he hit 12 goals and instantly became one of the continent's hottest properties. A host of clubs expectedly came for his services but he was smart enough to choose Borussia Dortmund; a team noted for its excellence in developing young players.
Dembélé continued his upward trajectory in the Bundesliga and following Neymar's world-record move to PSG, FC Barcelona moved for the youngster. While his first season in La Liga was punctuated by a terrible injury, the kid has shown enough to suggest that his "potential world-class" tag isn't just idle talk.
It remains to be seen how effective he will be operating under the shadow of more illustrious colleagues at both club (Messi, Luis Suarez, and others) and national level (Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba et al) but one thing is sure, this kid has everything it takes to become a Ballon d'Or winner in the nearest future.
#3 Isco (Real Madrid)
Like other players on this list, Francisco “Isco” Román Alarcón Suárez has been compared to a star player way before he became the star he is today. Isco has been compared to Nou Camp legend Andres Iniesta from his youth setup days at Valencia.
Close control, neat dribbling, chance creation and a decent scoring record have made Isco into one of the top midfielders but the journey hasn’t always been this smooth.
After his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013, Isco meet a team full of class and initially struggled to nail down a spot. After being underused by a succession of Real Madrid coaches; Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez and Zinedine Zidane (initially), the native Andalusian has embraced the challenge of playing for the world’s biggest club and is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
A firm fan favorite, Isco has everything in his locker to emulate the great No 10s in recent history like Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti and even surpass these legends.
He has become a key player in the Spanish national team setup and will be looking to stake his claim to the seat of his idol, Messi by adding the Ballon d'Or award to the many he has already won.
#2 Marco Asensio (Real Madrid)
The new golden boy of Spanish football, Asensio is a player for whom lots of praise have been reserved. He is expected to hit heights as high as the Ballon d’Or in his career.
Blessed with an ability to go past defenders like they are not even there, the 22-year old recently signed a contract extension tying him to Los Merengues until 2023 with a reported buyout clause of €350m.
Quick-footed, deceptively strong with an eye for a pass and a scorer of spectacular long-range shots from outside the penalty area, Marco is very calm for his age and doesn’t seem to rush into taking decisions while on the field of play.
Capable of playing on both flanks or behind the main striker, this versatility made him an asset to former Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane and has provided a cupboard full of highlight reels in his two seasons at the Bernabeu.
He has a unique record of scoring on his debut in every competition for Real Madrid and is certainly looking like the best €4m Real's president; Florentino Perez has ever spent.
Already being compared in terms of playing style and impact to Messi as well as being said to possess the big game mentality of Ronaldo, expect Asensio to be at the top of the queue jostling to replace the eternal duo of Messi/Ronaldo as a Ballon d'Or winner in the nearest future.
#1 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Always smiling, always jovial but a brilliant footballer, Griezmann is widely expected to be La Liga's next winner of the Ballon d’Or trophy (aside Messi and Ronaldo).
The 27-year-old forward has become the go-to guy for both his Spanish club and the French national team and is central to the hopes and dreams of both sides.
A brilliant finisher who also doubles as a very good playmaker, Griezmann was voted as the Player of the Tournament as his goals and performances propelled hosts France to the final of Euro 2016 where they eventually lost out to Portugal.
His combination of incisive passing, razor-sharp finishing, a willingness to sacrifice himself for the benefit of the team and his flair for the dramatic have made him a fans' favorite.
Griezmann’s ability to deliver when it matters the most puts him in the line of world-class players just below the footballing demi-gods of Cristiano and Lionel.
With both players expected to begin an inevitable decline in the nearest future, Griezmann has a good chance to be one of the successors to the Ballon d’Or throne and if he can have the same impact at Russia 2018 that he had at Euro 2016, expect him to be one of the favourites come the end of the year.
