Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi Don't Deserve Ballon D'Or, Says Louis Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal believes Germany's rise to World Cup stardom deserves recognition in the Ballon d'Or votes and insists neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi should win the award.

In a World Cup year, the Manchester United manager says it should be a German who tops the billing instead of the "well-known players," he told the club's official website (h/t the Mail Online's Anthony Hay):

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Most of the time it is always the well known players [who win the Ballon d'Or]. I don't think you can compare players in different positions. It is more for the football world and outside world than for other things I believe. I think it will be Ronaldo or Messi but I want to say that you have to win something.

And the best thing to win is the World Cup so I hope it will be a German player because they deserve it. In Germany, the level of the Bundesliga matches is also very high so I think it should be a German player.

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There are bound to be those who disagree, based mostly around the fact that the Ballon d'Or is an accolade of individual recognition. Trophies, silverware and team achievements may well help one's case, but the merits of one player alone lie at the crux of their particular candidacy.

FIFA provides a look at the 23 names in contention for the title:

The World Cup is a tournament which only comes around every four years, but that in itself isn't enough reason to indicate a winner in that competition. 

After all, while the attacking numbers of Ronaldo and Messi are magnificent on their own, as shown by WhoScored.com, it's also worth noting that the former's exploits led Real Madrid to last season's Champions League title.

His 17 goals in European competition last term—the most of any player in one European Cup or Champions League campaign—were crucial to that triumph, and they put the forward in good stead to retain his award.

Among those shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or sit six of Germany's World Cup victors: Mario Gotze, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

At the time of that triumph, all six played for Bayern Munich, the side who once again steamrolled their way to the Bundesliga crown in record time—Kroos having since moved to the Bernabeu.

Van Gaal raises an intriguing point in testifying the difference between divisions, asking whether it's a higher accomplishment to succeed in the Bundesliga than it is the Spanish top flight, per se.

But then, one must take into account the fact it was another La Liga giant, Atletico Madrid, that joined Los Merengues in the European final. Real themselves beat Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich en route to the Estadio da Luz, the two teams who accounted for seven of Germany's starting XI in the World Cup final.

Bleacher Report's Ryan Bailey recently spoke with analyst Janusz Michallik to discuss whether Bayern or Germany were the more dominant team in their respective realms:

For the past six years, Ronaldo and Messi have repeatedly jostled for the Ballon d'Or, which was dubbed the FIFA World Player of the Year award until 2010.

Admittedly, seeing the same two faces arise as candidates does stagnate the competition somewhat, but the pair need not be impeded by their own genius. Talents such as these only come about every so often, and they are very arguably deserving of all the awards that come their way.

Joachim Low may sympathise with Van Gaal after acting as the architect of Germany's World Cup victory, but the win was very much a team effort. As a result, it's difficult to even pick out one star from that crop who's more deserving than the rest.

Captain Lahm was terrifically versatile in leading the side from central midfield and right-back, while Neuer stood as a most reliable guardian of their gate. Thomas Muller edged closer to breaking the World Cup's all-time goal record, too.

In January, the Ballon d'Or will go to a player whose 2014 achievements are said to go beyond that of any other, but truthfully, it's difficult to quantify one's success ahead of another's.

Every player shortlisted can be content with having just made it this far, and Van Gaal is right to say Die Mannschaft's stars are deserving. The problem is that numerous other players are, too, and any one of those nominated can argue their case.