Carlo Ancelotti Is Right, Cristiano Ronaldo Is a Certainty to Win Ballon D'Or

It's natural for a manager to back his player, but there was a little more conviction in the statement made by Carlo Ancelotti.

When you have one of the best three players in world, it's certainly easier to talk up their talent and make a bold declaration.

In his press conference following the 5-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, the Italian proclaimed that Cristiano Ronaldo was guaranteed the Ballon d'Or when voting comes around.

"There’s little doubt this year, I think," insisted Ancelotti, per Sky Sports.

"I don’t think there are any bets because I don’t think there’s any doubt this year."

His winger had just scored three goals against a fellow Champions League side, which made it 10 goals in his last six games in all competitions.

Real Madrid have put a difficult start to the season behind them and have looked impressive in recent weeks as the forward trio of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have scored for fun.

The team still has its issues and perhaps that's why Ancelotti is so appreciative of his Portuguese talisman.

He knows that the defence is susceptible to set pieces and that Iker Casillas is going through a difficult period.

The midfield isn't completely balanced and the majority of his preferred formations struggle to accommodate James Rodriguez.

But in Ronaldo, he has a player that is showing no signs of slowing down.

Even though his team are not at the quality that took them to their 10th European Cup, he knows that Ronaldo can single-handedly carry them forward.

Of course, they face stiffer tests over the next few matches with the first Clasico of the season sandwiched between a double header with Liverpool.

Another reason for the former Milan manager to be so confident of Ronaldo's individual trophy-collecting ability is his perceived lack of competition from others.

Lionel Messi is within touching distance of becoming the highest scorer in Barcelona's history, but his adjusted style means that the plaudits will come less readily.

He's still scoring goals—although not quite at the same rate—but assists are becoming more frequent as he drops into space and looks to provide the killer pass for the good of the team.

This will make the Catalans a better side in the long term but not so impressive for catching the eye of the observer on a personal basis.

Then, there's the Argentine's new teammate Luis Suarez. His third suspension for biting has probably killed off any chance of him ever winning the accolade, let alone in the next few months.

The one thing that could stand in the way of Ronaldo retaining the coveted prize is that he made little impact on the World Cup.

Four of the last six winners in World Cup years have come from the eventual world champions, although there's a precedent here with 2010.

Like Spain that year, Germany were the best overall team by a distance this summer, but it's difficult to pick out one player above another.

Ronaldo struggled with injury during his time in Brazil but helping his club claim La Decima offset that disappointment.

His treble against the Basques was his 26th hat-trick for Real Madrid, and he now has 269 goals in 257 appearances for the club, via the Mirror.

"He gets better every time and he’ll continue to get better into his 40s" stated his agent Jorge Mendes on Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, via The Guardian.

"Along with being the best player, he’s the best athlete in the world. Nobody compares to him. There won’t be anyone like him for the next 500 years."

That's a bit of an exaggeration, given the quality of a certain Argentine, but in the last 10 months he has been the standout performer and deserves to win the Ballon d'Or.