The 7 Main Ballon D’or Candidates, Following Backing For Manuel Neuer From Chelsea Flop Andriy Shevchenko

4) Lionel Messi – Argentina and Barcelona

Messi’s won the Ballon D’or four times already, and he’s one of the favourites to pick up the gong again early next year. He earned the Golden Ball awarded for the World Cup’s best player, despite a fairly anonymous performance in the final. This season he’s playing a deeper, more creative role – and he’s already registered nine goals and assists apiece in 12 starts.