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Defenders are often ignored when it comes to individual awards, especially in Ballon d'Or ceremonies. However, this tendency is extremely unfair, because centre-backs and fullbacks are the back-bone of any successful side. To quote a coaching legend, the great Sir Alex Ferguson:
"Attack wins you games. Defense wins you titles."
It is about time that we realize the importance of defenders and how influential they can be. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who are currently the world's greatest two footballers, can certainly not be blamed for getting hammered 4-0 by Germany in the World Cup.
Likewise, it would be hypocritical to give them all the credits when they have an accomplished side working hard in order to provide them with the best possible conditions to express their talents at Barcelona and Real Madrid. For a team to succeed, it must rely on the hard-work of eleven individuals, and not just the goal-scorers.
From this perspective, there should be no more doubt that defenders are just as important as midfielders or attackers. Having said that, here are five defenders who we believe have what it takes to be potential Ballon d'Or winners, if the system gave them justice.
#5 - Leonardo Bonucci:
Leonardo Bonucci has been one of the world's finest centre-backs in the past few seasons. He helped Juventus win 6 Serie A titles and reach 2 UEFA Champions League finals, while leading their back-line in style. Leo is the modern defender by all means, thanks to his aggressiveness, reading of the game and ball-playing ability.
The 30-year old is one of the best deep-lying playmakers in the world. As a matter of fact, he averaged 67 passes with a success rate of 88% in the Italian league last season. In the period where Claudio Marchisio was vastly injured and Pjanic had not yet arrived, it was he who took charge of orchestrating Juve's build-up play.
His importance in Antonio Conte's system in Euro 16 was very visible, as he was constantly one of Italy's best performers. Prior to completing his move to AC Milan where he eventually became the captain, Bonucci had played an essential role in Juventus, achieving the second highest number of minutes without conceding goals, in Champions League history. In addition to his defensive excellence, he finished that campaign with 4 goals and 8 assists.
#4 - Marcelo:
Marcelo is quite simply the best left back in the world. And if there was any doubt about it, then the Brazilian successfully managed to prove all his critics wrong following, arguably, his best season ever in 2016/2017, where he was instrumental in Real Madrid's quest to claim the Spanish league and the Champions League.
Marcelo has stood out throughout the whole campaign, but especially towards the second half of the season, where cups are literally won or lost. Against FC Bayern in the quarterfinals of Europe's elite competition, the 29-year old displayed one of the best performances ever, as he shut-down Dutch star Arjen Robben at the Santiago Bernabéu, while providing the finest offensive support to his teammates.
Cristiano Ronaldo might have scored a hat-trick, but only few would doubt that without Marcelo, the Spanish giants would have probably not even made it to the semi-finals, let alone claim the title. Marcelo ended that season with 2 goals and 13 assists, which effectively highlights the brilliant campaign that he had.
#3 - Philipp Lahm:
Philipp Lahm may have retired with the end of the 2016/2017 season, but he remains as underrated as a player could ever get, as well as one of the most consistent performers that we have witnessed in our current era.
There is a reason why Pep Guardiola described the 33-year old as the most intelligent player he has ever managed. A fascinating compliment from one of the most reputable managers in activity.
Lahm has been a key figure for Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich in the last 12 years, where they dominated local competitions. After losing two of the previous three finals against Internazionale and Chelsea in 2010 and 2012 respectively, the Bavarians were finally able to claim the Champions League title after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1, in the 2013 final.
Following a serious of upsets with Germany's national team in between 2006 and 2012, where Lahm and his teammates were so close, yet so far from achieving silverware, the Nationalmannschaft's captain was finally rewarded in 2014, as he claimed the FIFA World Cup and consequently brought a glorious end to his international career.
When you look back at it in 10 years time, it's hard to understand how an all-time great of his caliber was never even considered as a Ballon d'Or candidate, not even in 2014.
#2 - Dani Alves:
Just like Philipp Lahm, Dani Alves is one of the greatest fullbacks in the history of the game, and has just come out of one of his best seasons ever at Juventus.
The Italian giants were always going to claim another Serie A title, but it is in the UEFA Champions League where Alves gave them the huge push, thanks to his winning mentality in the locker room, experience, and technical ability.
The Brazilian scored 3 goals and mustered 4 assists in the Champions League, and his best performances came in the knockout phase against the likes of FC Porto, FC Barcelona, AS Monaco.
It is in the big games that big-game Dani Alves usually shuts his critics and proves his doubters wrong.
Many regard him as the greatest fullback of his generation, but even if you disagree, it is not hard to admit that the Ballon d'Or competition has never done justice to Dani Alves.
For he is, after all, the third most decorated player in the history of the game with 34 cups, and will certainly end in first place by the time he retires.
#1 - Sergio Ramos:
Whenever the question about a defender who deserves to win the Ballon d'Or is brought up, Sergio Ramos will most certainly cross your mind. In the last 3 years, it is hard to argue that there is one defender on planet earth who is more worthy of this award than the Real Madrid captain.
The 31-year old has not just improved his defensive skills and reduced his tendency of committing blunders during this period, but he has also taken his overall influence on the pitch to the next level.
To put things into perspective, Ramos was equally just as important as any other Madrid player, in all three Champions League editions that the Spanish giants have won in between 2014 and 2017.
In the 2014 final against Atlético Madrid, he was the one who scored the last-gap equalizer which eventually led to the title. Prior to that, he had hammered Bayern Munich in Germany with two goals, leading to a crushing 4-0 victory.
In 2016, he scored yet again in the final, as Los Merengues won the derby on penalties, and subsequently claimed the title. As for last season, Ramos found the net on 9 different occasions.
Combining his mouthwatering scoring skills with solid defensive displays, the Furia Roja star ended the campaign with the FIFA Club World Cup, La Liga and the Champions League.
Unfortunately, all these achievements are unlikely to be rewarded in 2017, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar are expected to dominate the first three positions.
