Ballon d'Or Power Ranking: May 2020
by Vishal Subramanian- The race for the 2020 Ballon d'Or has been dampened by the COVID-19 outbreak in the world.
- Lionel Messi is the current holder of the Ballon d'Or, having won it for a record sixth time in December 2019.
Widely regarded as the most prestigious individual accolade in world football, the Ballon d'Or is sure to have a different feel to it this year. European football was suspended in mid-March just as we entered the business end of the season, as the coronavirus pandemic spiralled out of control in the continent.
With the exception of the Bundesliga, none of the major leagues have resumed till date, and that is expected to be the case till mid-June. COVID-19 continues to devastate people across the planet and has left a seemingly deep hole in the world of football.
With effectively three months of the current season chalked off due to unprecedented circumstances, a dark cloud has been cast over the Ballon d'Or.
Games are expected to arrive thick and fast once the season resumes next month, and the 2020-21 campaign will also commence shortly after the current one concludes.
Ballon d'Or 2020 will retain its charm
Nonetheless, the Ballon d'Or is one of football's most coveted trophies and has retained its charm over the years despite the controversy surrounding it.
In December 2019, Lionel Messi became the first player in the history of the game to win the Ballon d'Or for the six-time, an astonishing achievement that will take some beating.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah completed the Ballon d'Or top five, as the diminutive Argentine walked away with the award. With Euro 2020, Copa America and the AFCON postponed to 2021, the 65th edition of the Ballon d'Or promises to be the most exciting one in the modern era.
With that in mind, here are the top five contenders for the Ballon d'Or as things stand.
5. Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool, Netherlands
Having come agonisingly close to winning the Ballon d'Or in 2019, Virgil van Dijk is expected to be in the mix for the award once again. The Dutchman has been an ever-present in what has been a historic league campaign for Liverpool and looks set to finish the season strongly.
The Reds are 25 points clear in the Premier League summit, with the 28-year-old playing a starring role in their domestic dominance. As the reigning winner of the PFA Player of the Year and the UEFA Player of the Year awards, Van Dijk is an indispensable member for club and country.
The towering defender has featured in all of Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League games this season and has been tipped to compete for the Ballon d'Or once again.
Van Dijk is aiming to become the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 to win the Ballon d'Or, and it remains to be seen if he gets his hands on the prized accolade.
4. Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich, Poland
Robert Lewandowski has been in stunning goalscoring form for club and country this season and has spearheaded Bayern Munich's charge in the Bundesliga this season. With 41 goals to his name in all competitions, the Polish international has been lethal in front of goal this season.
Lewandowski has aged like fine wine and is all set to have his best goalscoring season till date. The 31-year-old is not only gunning for the European Golden Shoe, but also for the Ballon d'Or as he continues to defy expectations.
At the start of the season, Bayern Munich were faltering under Niko Kovac and looked set to surrender the Bundesliga title. However, Lewandowski almost single-handedly bailed his team out numerous times and has carried on his rich vein of form under new coach Hansi Flick.
The Polish striker is sure to be amongst the candidates to win the 2020 Ballon d'Or, and his chances could be enhanced if he were to spearhead Bayern to the UEFA Champions League trophy.
3. Lionel Messi - Barcelona, Argentina
Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi features in the list, and the reigning Ballon d'Or winner will do everything he can to retain the prized accolade. Having won the Ballon d'Or for a staggering sixth time in December 2019, Messi has continued his rich vein of form into the new year and guided Barcelona back to the top of the La Liga standings.
The diminutive Argentine has scored 19 league goals this season and also leads the La Liga standings for assists, with 12 to his name so far. The 2018-19 season was one of Messi's greatest seasons as a professional footballer even by his lofty standards, and he has continued to set the standard at the top.
With the Copa America postponed to 2021, Messi will look to complete the league and UCL double with Barcelona to give himself a fair chance of retaining the award.
With five Ballon d'Or awards to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is breathing down his neck, and the Portuguese international could draw level with Messi if he were to win it this year.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo - Juventus, Portugal
Much like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo's inclusion on the list should come as no surprise. The Portuguese talisman has won the Ballon d'Or five times and has done so with two different clubs, having won it with Manchester United as well as Real Madrid.
By winning the Ballon d'Or in 2020, Ronaldo will become not only the first-ever player to win the award with three different clubs, but also equal Messi's record of six. The 35-year-old is one of the greatest athletes of all time and has carried on scoring despite entering the twilight years of his career.
In 2020, Ronaldo equalled the Serie A record of scoring in 11 successive league games. The former Real Madrid man also became the first Juventus player in history to score in 10 successive league games, an astonishing record for a 35-year-old.
With 25 goals and four assists in all competitions for the Bianconeri this season, Ronaldo has been in fantastic form and will look to carry on with his goalscoring exploits in the business end of the season.
Ronaldo has already declared that he aims to win the Ballon d'Or at least one more time and judging by his goalscoring record this season, he could get his hands on the award at the end of the year.
1. Kevin de Bruyne - Manchester City, Belgium
Kevin de Bruyne has been the best player in the Premier League despite Manchester City's faltering title challenge. The Belgian midfielder has been in sublime form for Pep Guardiola's side this season and is widely regarded as the best-attacking midfielder in world football at the moment.
Blessed with technical ability in abundance, De Bruyne is also physically built to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
The Belgian midfielder's ability to combine the best of both worlds has been him become the focal point of Guardiola's star-studded line up comprising of the likes of Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and David Silva, amongst others.
With nine goals and 19 assists in all competitions this season, De Bruyne has the bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre league campaign for the Cityzens. The 28-year-old is the leading candidate for the 2020 Ballon d'Or and could get his hands on the award if Manchester City finish the season strongly.
Guardiola and co have the domestic cups and the Champions League to cater to after the restart. Additionally, De Bruyne will also have his eyes on breaking Theirry Henry's record of 20 league assists from the 2002-03 season.
Published 30 May 2020, 00:35 IST