On January 13, 2014, Cristiano Ronaldo is widely expected to be crowned the winner of the prestigious Ballon d'Or award for the second time in his career. The award for the world's best player has largely been dominated by serial-winner Lionel Messi, who has scooped the individual gong in each of the past four years, but it looks as though 2014 will finally be Ronaldo's year to hog the limelight and usurp his old foe, according to bookmakers. While Messi has been in the treatment room for a long-term hamstring injury, Ronaldo has scored 18 La Liga goals in 16 appearances this season and banged in a perfect 55 in 55 outings in all competitions in 2012/13. As of this precise moment, Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player on the planet - but with Messi returning from injury, that could all soon change. Do you agree with our picks? Who do you think is the best footballer on the planet right now? Share your opinions in the comment section, below.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
