ULTIMATE SHORTLIST FOR 2014 FIFA BALLON D`Or WINNER. . Three players have ultimately scaled the hurdle of the earlier twenty three players schedule of FIFA`s list of contenders for this year`s award of the World`s top player. The current Ballon dOr holder- Cristiano Ronaldo, four-time winner - Lionel Messi and the 23rd place finisher in the Ballon dOr voting of last year are among the finalists. Reviewed below are the stats that made these great players elegant in 2014 ahead of their intending accomplishments. LIONEL MESSI - After one goal in eight previous World Cup games, Lionel Messi scored four times at the 2014 World Cup and won the Golden Ball as the tournaments best player. He also scored 52 goals in 62 games for his club and country this year. Also worthy of mention are the La Liga and Champions League career scoring records to his résumé in the past month alone. CRISTIANO RONALDO -He won last years Ballon dOr, scoring 69 goals in 59 games for Real Madrid and Portugal in 2013. With 55 goals in 55 games this year, he has not been quite prolific. However, relatively, his 45 goals in league and European play are still six more than any other player has managed this year in Europes top five leagues. He also spectacularly wrapped up, the Champions League single-season scoring record with 17 goals in the 2013-14 season. Messi is already the only four-time Ballon dOr winner and seeks his fifth award in six years after sweeping four straight trophies from 2009 to 2012. Ronaldo won in 2008 as well as 2013, and could become the fifth player to win the Ballon dOr three times, joining Messi, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten. MANUEL NEUER - Neuer finished 23rd in the Ballon dOr voting last year, he will be the first keeper to finish in the top three for Ballon dOr voting since Gianluigi Buffon was runner-up to Fabio Cannavaro in 2006. Looking solely at the FIFA Player of the Year history, Neuer will have the highest result by a keeper since Oliver Kahn was runner-up to Brazils Ronaldo in 2002. The only keeper to win the Ballon dOr: the Soviet Unions Lev Yashin in 1963. Neuer has been generally praised for redefining his position with his willingness and ability to play the ball outside his penalty area. His 21 touches in the Round of 16 against Algeria were five more than any other keeper had in a game at any of the last three World Cups. In league game in 2014, Neuer allowed 8.5 goals fewer than would be expected based on total shots faced. Thats the second-best number in Europes top five leagues, behind only Keylor Navas at 10.1. Who do you think on merit, deserves this award?
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 17:14:34 +0000
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