Ballon D'Or 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo Is Clear-Cut Favorite to Win Coveted Award

After recording an unthinkable hat trick Tuesday against Sweden that secured a World Cup berth for Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo has become the clear-cut favorite to win the coveted FIFA Ballon d'Or Award at year's end. 

It's not only Ronaldo's heroic efforts against Sweden over the past week that put him in the driver's seat to win the prestigious award for the first time but a number of overwhelming factors.

The most important of which is the fact that three-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is currently watching Barcelona from the sideline as he recovers from a nagging hamstring injury. What's more, Messi has been battling injury for much of the year, as per Reuters (via Eurosport.com), and has at times looked like a shell of himself. 

Not only has Ronaldo been on the pitch throughout 2013, but he's made the most of his appearances. 

According to The Guardian's Paul Campbell, the 28-year-old Portuguese star now has 66 goals in all competitions this year and has accounted for nearly 50 percent of Real Madrid's goals this season (16 of 35 in La Liga).

And while the goals reinforce Ronaldo's case, it's when his best performances come that have propelled him to the top this year. Throughout the year, when the stakes seem to be at their highest, Ronaldo has been there to lift both his club and his country.

Ronaldo's Champions League match-winner against former club Manchester United at Old Trafford last March and Tuesday's hat trick stand out when talking about his many clutch performances.

His four goals in Portugal's UEFA World Cup 2014 qualifying playoff with Sweden give him a career-high 10 goals in nine international appearances. His previous best mark was seven in 2011. 

Clearly, Ronaldo passes both the numbers and the eye tests with flying colors. And with his biggest competitor in Messi closing 2013 not with a bang but a whimper, Ronaldo must be considered a lock to take home Ballon d'Or honors this winter. 

Other contenders like Franck Ribery and Zlatan Ibrahimovic all boast solid cases, but Ronaldo's final flurry against Sweden all but confirms his status as the world's best footballer in 2013.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.