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It has been ten long years since Kaka lifted the famous Ballon d’Or trophy in 2007. No one could have guessed then, that two players would make winning the much-coveted trophy a personal affair: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But time does take its toll. Messi, is 31 years old and Ronaldo, 33 years of age, is already approaching the twilight of his career.
This gradually paves the way for other talented footballers to step up, and complete for the ultimate icing on their career.
Ten probable winners of the Ballon d'Or in the upcoming years are listed below.
#10 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona, 25)
He is a creative little magician, evident from his exploits at Liverpool, where he developed into a fine attacking midfielder. His rawness at Inter Milan has gradually paved way to greatness and the whole world watches with anticipation when he has the ball at his feet.
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Recently purchased by Barcelona for 142 million dollars to add fuel to their midfield, he is quite capable of providing perfect through balls for strikers to pounce upon, as well as curling the ball from outside the box into the goal.
He is also a vital cog-wheel in the Brazilian team and is also looking for World Cup glory this time out in Russia, with Brazil being one of the firm-favorites to win the title. A few more major trophies and goals would eventually make it easier for him to win the much-coveted trophy.
#9 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, 26)
Blessed with flair and the finishing skills of a poacher, he always remains a hot topic in the transfer market gossips round the year. He has matured from being the young lad from Real Sociedad, who went down so easily upon being tackled to a fine striker.
The world got a first glimpse of his class during the FIFA World Cup 2014, and since then he hasn't looked back. He was a major reason for France's successful run to the final of Euro 2016, and despite them losing to Portugal, Griezmann was the UEFA EURO 2016 Player of the Tournament.
Despite the fact that he has to compete with seasoned forwards like Diego Costa, Fernando Torres and Kevin Gameiro for a place in the starting XI, he still remains Simeone's first choice striker in Atletico Madrid's 4-4-2 formation.
#8 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, 29)
Easily one of the best strikers on the planet, who terrorizes goalkeepers with his goal-scoring frequency. He has earned the right of being the star center forward for whichever team he plays.
After his exploits during his stint in Borussia Dortmund, he moved to fierce rivals Bayern Munich in 2014, and since then he has become the undisputed No. 9 in the Bayern lineup.
Even though he is 29, he shows no signs of waning and has scored 29 goals already this season, leading the goal-scoring charts of Bundesliga. He still makes a strong statement for the Ballon d'Or, and may well win it in future.
#7 Leroy Sane (Manchester City, 22)
Barely 22 years of age, he is touted as the next big thing in German football. Sane has been in stellar form for Manchester City this season since joining them in 2016 from German outfit Schalke FC.
He is one of the major reasons why Guardiola's City have been unstoppable in their onslaught of opponents as Manchester City race towards their 3rd Premier League title since 2010. 12 assists and 11 goals say a lot about his abilities, and he is getting better with every game.
If he keeps up his level of performance, it won't be long before we see him at the top.
#6 Isco (Real Madrid, 25)
A total creative genius, Isco can create goal-scoring chances from nothing and is considered by many as the man who will take over the reigns of Spanish football from midfield maestros like Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and David Silva.
He is slowly becoming the heartbeat of Spain's midfield. His ability of holding up the play whenever required, dribbling and making key passes are attributes that elevate him to a highly dangerous opponent.
He hasn't been much of regular starter in the Real Madrid XI this season because of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos but whenever he has played, he has shown glimpses of what could be. He is rumored to be eyeing a move to the Premier League next season and that might provide a boost in his journey to becoming the best on the football field.
#5 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint Germain, 19)
No one knew who he was before he started turning heads at AS Monaco, by lighting up the Champions League in last season. He played a pivotal role in Monaco's run to the Ligue 1 title in 2016/17, which was their first in seventeen years.
His standout performances have earned him a loan-move to Paris St. Germain, where he has become an integral part of the attacking trio along with Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
16 goals and 11 assists to his credit this season, Mbappe is one of the hottest properties in football world right now. He has quite a long way to go, and could very well be tagged as the best player in the world if he keeps up his form.
#4 Paulo Dybala (Juventus, 24)
Nicknamed 'La Joya' (The Jewel), this diminutive Argentinean is on his way to become one of the finest players of the game. He has become a really important player for the Juventus side ever since he joined them from Palermo in 2015.
Considered by many Argentines as the heir to Lionel Messi, he has been playing out of his skin this season with few hat-tricks to his name. He has 17 goals to his name already, which is quite good by his standards judging by the fact that he has to compete with seasoned strikers like Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Mandzukic for a place in the eleven.
A lethal left-foot and speed is what makes him such a threat to the opponents. He is one of the youngest players on this list, merely 24 and a lot lies ahead of him. Maybe the Ballon d'Or too.
#3 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspurs, 24)
A star was born in Dublin on 15th of December 2011, wearing the famous white jersey. That was the day when Harry Kane scored his first Tottenham goal, the first of many.
He scored the maximum number of goals in 2017 ahead of Messi, Ronaldo and Cavani, with 56 goals to his name. He is the reason of worry for every team in the PL and he has been in stellar form this season, chipping in 35 goals on the way across all competitions.
His performances are attracting interest from Madrid, as he keeps on scoring goals game in and game out for Spurs. More silverware in the top tiers of European football will prove quite handy for the Englishman, if he hopes to win the greatest individual honor that football has to bestow.
#2 Eden Hazard (Chelsea, 27)
They say good players carry teams on their own. The same can be said for this 27-year old Belgian who has been the only positive in Chelsea’s lackluster season as the defending Premier League Champions.
His pace and a wide range of dribbling skills, make him a total creative powerhouse. 15 goals and 5 assists may not be enough compared to others, yet his pace and dribbling make him a lethal attacker who is almost difficult to contain.
Statistically the player with the most number of dribbles in Europe this season and the most fouled player in Europe in the last few years, Eden is capable of tearing teams apart on his day. Even on his bad days, there aren't a lot of players better than him. A few more goals could take him closer to the Ballon d’Or, and help him to strengthen his stand for the top prize.
#1 Neymar da Silva Santos Junior (Paris Saint Germain, 26)
Arguably the likeliest candidate for the award right now, $232m is quite an amount for a football player but it is the amount of money that Paris St. Germain had to shell out to pay for his services.
He has already set Ligue 1 on fire with 28 goals and 14 assists to his name this season stepping firmly out of Messi’s shadow.
The 'Golden Boy of Brazil' is said to be dreaming of a move to Real Madrid in the coming years and why not? The "best player" going to the most revered club on this planet makes sense.
Barely 26 years of age, he is at the peak of his career right now and winning the World Cup this year will be a huge boost for his chances.
Only time will tell who will wear the crown. And time is not over for them, as both Cristiano and Messi will be looking to add more Ballon d'Ors to their kitty. Who's gonna stop them?
