FIFA Golden

Portugal international is on course to be named the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner for the fifth time in his career after guiding Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double.

The Portugal international had his doubters at the start of the season despite his national triumph at Euro 2016. Ronaldo started the season late owing to an injury sustained in the final at Paris, but he managed to integrate quickly once he returned to full fitness.

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo could be awarded yet another Ballon D’Or title this year as he continues his brilliant run.

The Portuguese star has scored eight times in his last four Champions League games. With Real set to meet Juventus in the 2017 UEFA Champions League final in Cardiff, a victory for the Spanish side would see Ronaldo possibly lift the coveted prize this year.

Chelsea star Eden Hazard says that he can win the Ballon d’Or award even while playing for Chelsea.

The Belgian winger has often been seen as one of the best players in the world beyond the impenetrable circle of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The two players have shared the title of being the best player in the world for the decade. However, there is a great opportunity for other players to step into this title for the first time since 2007, as Ronaldo and Messi have shown signs of falling from the peaks. One of the players who may have a good shot at the title isHazard.

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves reckons that the Red Devils will be getting a huge leap into getting of the Ballon d’Or winner in their ranks is the sign Borussia Dortmund striker Ousmane Dembele.

The 19-year-old has been rated as one of the top strikers in European football. The fact that he is still in his teens has made him one of the sought-after signings for top clubs. Since his £12.5 million move to Borussia Dortmund last summer, he has been able to contribute directly 25 goals in the league this season.

Up until 2008 the prestigious Ballon d’Or award was an achievement that all of the top footballers in the world could aspire to attain. In the long history of the golden ball trophy since 1956, the highest number of successive wins by one player was three, held by Michael Platini between 1983 and 1985.

That was until Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi came along. Ever since the Portuguese won the accolade in his final season at Manchester United, he and the Argentine superstar have been untouchable at the top of the tree, both ending in either first or second place every year. With these elite players showing no signs of stopping, when will another star get a look in?

George Weah says that winning the Ballon d’Or award himself and Liberia on the map.

Widely considered as one of the greatest players to come from the African continent,Weah became the first player from Africa to win the Ballon d’Or award and become crowned as the best player in the world. The award has an illustrious history of celebrating the best in the world, andWeah proved that even African players can compete on this level. In his playing days, he was widely known for his time with AC Milan. His solitary Ballon d’Or award came in 1995 after he had contributed immensely to AC Milan’s success in the domestic competitions.

Gabon men National football team captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has vowed to put the team's poor time at the Africa Cup on Nations right in the World Cup Qualifiers in August. Putting the three miserable draws (which saw them crash out at the group stage of the tournament they were hosting) behind them and concentrating on beating the Ivory Coast in their next clash.

At the AFCON the Panthers conceded a last-minute goal to only draw 1-1 with minnows Guinea-Bissau in the opener, and could only follow it up with a 1-1 draw against Burkina Faso, before a 0-0 draw with Cameroon saw them exit as th third-placed team.

Manchester United manager José Mourinho felt that striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have won at least one FIFA Ballon d’Or award in his career.

Ibrahimovic remains as one of the most prolific players to have never won the award. Apart from being prolific on a personal level, Ibrahimovic has also won numerous major honours with the club. He is one of the few players in the world to have one major titles with several top clubs. In fact, very few players have been able to claim successes with the likes of Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan, Paris St Germain, and lately, Manchester United.

Former Barcelona defender Dani Alves says that the media have twisted the words of Cristiano Ronaldo and have made him look like a staunch enemy to the Brazilian – especially at the FIFA Ballon d’Or award ceremony.

Ronaldo managed to win a fourth Ballon d’Or title by beating Lionel Messi to the crown. He is just one behind the Argentine superstar. However, there has been a lot of talk that Ronaldo has been receiving unfair treatment when he is on poor form, like Lionel Messi, who does not get the same amount of stick

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has said that he would not rush recovering Welsh football star Gareth Bale.

The player is yet to full recover from a long-term ankle injury but it looks like the team needs his help even as they manage to extend the lead in the La Liga.