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#3 Manuel Neuer
Goalkeepers usually do not win such awards, but an exception can be made for special performances and Lev Yashin actually did win the award in 1963. Neuer is often called the sweeper-keeper because of his tendency to come out of the goal to thwart attacks and start moves. He is also a great shot-stopper and dependable in the air. All those qualities make his a complete goalkeeper and an asset to his team.
Neuer was exceptional in two consecutive seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) and should have won the Ballon d’Or on either occasion. He helped Bayern win the treble in 2012-13 by winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup with them. He again helped the German national team win the World Cup in 2014. Neuer was the stand-out player in the tournament as Germany kept four clean sheets in it.
He should have probably won the Golden Ball award for the World Cup, which, incidentally was won by Messi. Bayern made it to the semifinal of the Champions League in 2013-14 and won the Bundesliga and again, Neuer was exceptional for them. However, he was voted 3rd in the final ranking of Ballon d’Or in 2013-14. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were voted 1st and 2nd respectively.
