5 defenders in the current era who deserve the Ballon d'Or

#1 - Sergio Ramos:

Real Madrid CF v Real Sociedad de Futbol - La Liga

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.