What Will It Take for Cristiano Ronaldo to Win the Ballon d'Or?

A free-kick. A penalty. A smash from an acute angle.

Ronaldo's latest hat-trick performance—the 25th of his career—highlights what might be the forward's best scoring run of his career. With an incredible nine goals from his last four games in all competitions, Ronaldo is in unstoppable form.

But, after losing out to Lionel Messi for the past four years, the question must be asked: What does Ronaldo need to do to win the Ballon d'Or?

Individually, the battle is strictly between Ronaldo and his Argentinean rival. The players score at a rate far superior to anybody else on the planet.

But it would be foolish to think that team success does not play a significant role in the decision-making process. While Franck Ribery makes the shortlist this season, nobody in their right mind would argue he is as talented as the aforementioned pair.

Let's take a moment to review Ronaldo's resume.

Since moving to the Spanish capital, the lad has won one La Liga crown—breaking Barca's three-year reign in the process—one Copa del Rey and one Supercopa de Espana. An impressive haul, but it pales when compared to Messi's accumulation.

During those same years, La Pulga has won three Liga crowns, one Copa del Rey, three Supercopas de Espana and one Champions League trophy, to name a few. The forward has been fortunate enough to take part in Barcelona's golden age of possession football and attacking brilliance. A supporting cast that includes the likes of Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta gives Messi all the tools he needs to be successful.

Though the two compete individually, team success is the tiebreaker in the end. So what do Real Madrid have to do to see their star man back on that podium?

Perhaps surprisingly, winning La Liga in 2012 did not do the trick. The team finally overcame their Catalan rivals to claim a meaningful league crown for Jose Mourinho. Ronaldo had a campaign year—scoring 46 times in league play and notching 60 tallies in all competitions. But despite these insane figures, the forward came up short.

The reason is clear. Despite moderate domestic success, the club failed to deliver on Europe's biggest stage. A Champions League semi-final loss against Bayern Munich removed their opportunity to do the double and consequently reduced Ronaldo's chances at personal glory.

It is in the Champions League that the club must finally triumph. After three straight years of crashing out in the semi-final round, it is the only avenue left for Ronaldo to reach the top of world football once more. Capturing La Decima is no easy task, but the reinforcements of the summer months should ensure yet another deep run.

As for Ronaldo—the forward just needs to maintain his remarkable form. His breathtaking accumulation of goals and assists desensitizes us to the footballing gift he truly is, but the player deserves all the praise in the world.

While the Ballon d'Or is supposedly given to the best player on the planet, team success is crucial to earning the award. That said, Ronaldo has done his part, and his goal-scoring record speaks for itself. But to reclaim the top prize, he will need the assistance of his teammates and success in Europe.