Top 5: Messi and Ronaldo Ballon d’Or challengers
12 January 2015 - Ballon D'Or - Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ballon D'Or trophy after being named world player of the year.
1. Neymar (Barcelona and Brazil)
Playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez can only have a positive effect on your performance and that’s what has happened for Neymar. The 23-year-old Brazilian joined Barcelona from Santos in June 2013 and has been an important part of the side’s success, despite playing second fiddle to Messi. He’s known for his flair, pace and finishing and unsurprisingly has scored 58 goals in just 100 games for the Catalan club. After winning the Super Cup in 2013, the forward played a huge part in winning the treble; La Liga, Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in 2014/15 – a season which saw him strike 39 times in 51 games.