By Andrew Warshaw
January 13 – After consistently losing out to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite to clinch FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award later today. Real Madrid’s Portugal captain is named on a three-man shortlist to be crowned world player of the year at the annual gala in Zurich, along with Barcelona’s Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich.
Nadine Angerer (Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Abby Wambach (USA) are in the running for the women’s world player of the year prize while former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is vying with ex-Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes and Borussia Dortmund’s Jurgen Klopp to be named men’s coach of the year.
Ronaldo, who last won the award in 2008, was runner-up to Messi in 2009, 2011 and 2012 and was bumped out of the first three in 2010 by Xavi and Iniesta following their displays in Spain’s World Cup-winning team.
But this time he is favoured to get the better of Messi, having scored 66 goals in 56 games for club and country during the period involved, including a remarkable hattrick in November’s World Cup play-off against Sweden that fired his country into the finals in Brazil.
Ribery was instrumental in helping Bayern Munich sweep to a triumphant five trophies last year: Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Although the French attacking midfielder is the underdog there is a strong body of opinion that believes that, at the age of 30, he deserves to lift the trophy ahead of the two usual adversaries . All three shortlisted candidates have had stellar seasons but Ribery has already been crowned UEFA’s Best Player in Europe for the calendar year.
“Ribéry is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and the best in 2013. Without him, Bayern would probably have won one title, but not three,” said the great Franz Beckenbauer.
Yet the feeling is that Ronaldo will pick up the prize even if, on the eve of the ceremony, his namesake – the former Brazilian star who won it three times – said Messi’s troubled last few months on and off the field should not prevent the Argentine superstar from edging out his great rival once again.
“Cristiano has been amazing this year. But he has been like that in the last five years. Messi is a more spectacular player and I would vote for him if I had the chance,” said Ronaldo, a prominent member of Brazil’s World Cup Organising Committee.
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