An Argument for Cristiano Ronaldo to Win the 2014 Ballon d'Or

It might have its detractors, and it is certainly far less important than any team competition, but you cannot deny how significant the Ballon d'Or is to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

With his son in tow, tears filled his eyes as he stood on the stage earlier this year after claiming the coveted 2013 edition of the individual award, ending four straight Lionel Messi triumphs.

Ronaldo had won it previously in 2008 as a Manchester United player; this one felt different, though.

Since moving to Madrid, the standards set by the Portuguese international and his Argentine adversary at Barcelona have been phenomenally high—to lose out on the Ballon d'Or four times running clearly hurt.

And as we creep towards the announcement of the nominees for the current year, the 29-year-old has to be a heavy favourite to retain the prize.

Not least because of how he has started the current season.

In six La Liga appearances—he missed the defeat at Real Sociedad injured—he has scored an astonishing 13 goals, including two hat-tricks and one four-goal haul, or a poker, as they call it in Spain.

On top of that, he has also scored twice in two Champions League appearances and was the architect of both of Madrid's goals as they beat Sevilla 2-0 in the UEFA Super Cup in August.

Of course, this is in addition to his knockout stage performances as Los Blancos at last clinched their 10th European Cup this year.

Paulo Duarte/Associated Press

Ronaldo accounted for eight goals in just six appearances from the last 16 onwards, including a late penalty in the final win against Atletico Madrid in Lisbon, the city where he took some of his early steps as a footballer.

If there is an argument to be made against him, it is perhaps that he couldn't push Madrid over the line in one of the tightest title races in La Liga's history.

However, he still scored 13 goals in 14 appearances post the winter break, with injuries denying him the chance to play seven of the last 16 league matches.

You could also use the World Cup as a measuring stick, with just one goal coming from his boot as Portugal slumped out through the back door in a group which included Germany, the USA and Ghana.

It was not a vintage Portugal side, though, and better teams than them also fell at the first hurdle in Brazil.

A superhuman effort would have been needed from Ronaldo to drag them through to the last 16.

So then you have to look at the competition for the Ballon d'Or.

Lionel Messi hasn't had a dreadful year by any means, and he has started the season in fine form, but he was unable to affect games when it mattered at the end of last season.

Barcelona were beaten in the Copa del Rey final by Real Madrid, knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid and drew a final-day shootout in the league, again against Atletico, as they ended the season with nothing but the Spanish Super Cup.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Messi was unable to turn the tide in any of those matches, nor was he able to win the World Cup for Argentina.

His performances in the group stages were impressive, but as the tournament grew in age, Messi's ability to swing games lessened.

This brings us to Germany: World Cup winners.

As with Bayern Munich's success in the Bundesliga, though, you look at the team and see exactly that: a team.

Players like Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm and Thomas Muller are all wonderful, extremely talented players, but do they do more than Ronaldo on a weekly basis?

Likewise, Atletico’s league triumph in Spain was a direct result of team work ethic and some excellent management skills from Diego Simeone.

It all depends on your definition of who should win the Ballon d'Or.

Not since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006 has a defender won it—and that was an exception—while Lev Yashin, in 1963, is still the only goalkeeper to ever be handed the award.

And it seems more and more obvious in recent years that the voters—national team managers, captains and journalists—favour individual brilliance over the vital parts of a hugely successful and effective team.

Based on that criteria, there is only one man in the frame this year.