5 forwards who deserve to win Ballon d'Or

Ballon d'Or has always been seen as the highest possible accolade that a player can win for his individual contribution to his respective side. France Football will give away the 2017 Ballon d'Or on Thursday, December 7, in a grand ceremony with as many as 30 nominees being in the race.

But as has been the norm in the past decade or so, the award is expected to be won for yet another year by a forward. And Europe truly has the best set of attackers fighting it out in their respective leagues. With many strikers leading the scoring charts in Europe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finally have a fight on their hands.

As a leak recently showed Lionel Messi as the winner of Ballon d'Or 2017, many are thinking that Cristiano Ronaldo will sweep the awards just as at the FIFA Best awards. For that scenario (including the two superhumans), let's make a case for 5 forwards playing in Europe who deserve to win the prestigious Ballon accolade for 2017:

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#5 Paulo Dybala

Dybala has already scored 14 goals with three assists in all competitions.

With two hat-tricks to his name already in Serie A this season, it can be safely said that Paulo Dybala has finally made that transition from being a prospect to become a world beater. He has entered the higher echelons of top footballers and his records in the previous season justify his claim of winning the top honour.

Dybala has already scored 14 goals with three assists in all competitions with his performances often being the saving grace for a faltering Juventus side. In the entirety of last season, Dybala had scored 19 goals and he is on the line to beat that in the current campaign. His overall impact and influence for Juventus have made him a top contender for tomorrow's Ballon d'Or ceremony.

#4 Edinson Cavani

For Uruguay, Cavani was the country's top scorer in a tough qualifying group.

Many had claimed that the arrival of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would put Cavani in the backseat. But, as he has done for his entire career, Cavani made his detractors fall flat on their face with his stunning form in the 17/18 campaign. With 25 goals to his name, Cavani is the current top scorer of all the players that have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

Last season, El Matador was the Ligue 1 top scorer with 35 goals and was their best player in Europe until that fateful game against FC Barcelona. The previous campaign was his first with PSG where he was the club's central figure and he excelled with an added responsibility. For Uruguay, Cavani was the country's top scorer in a tough qualifying group and with Luis Suarez being in a bad run of form, the 30-year-old needed to go out all guns blazing and he did exactly that.

This list demanded a traditional, out and out striker to be complete and who better to take up this place than Edinson Cavani? He beats Harry Kane to this place by winning trophies and bettering his goal tally and also Robert Lewandowski by being ahead in goals, assists and overall contribution.

#3 Neymar Jr

Neymar has been sensational with the national team as well.

Since the summer of 2017, all the attention on Neymar has been focused upon his transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and his humongous price tag. But that has not deterred the Brazilian poster boy to do what he does best - scoring for fun and making a mockery of the opposing defenders.

With 15 goals and 9 assists, Ligue 1 has lightened up with the arrival of it's biggest star in decades. He has been sensational with the national team as well - captaining and being the top scorer of a Brazil side considered by many, as a favourite to win the World Cup.

In his final season for FC Barcelona, Neymar managed 13 goals and 10 assists and produced one of the most iconic individual performances against his current side in the Champions League. All in all, 2017 has been the year of the boy from Santos and by winning the Ballon d'Or, Neymar can finally bridge the gap between him and the two superhumans of football.

#2 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was last season's La Liga top scorer.

The Argentine talisman has had a brilliant 2017 individually. Team-wise, not so much. This is the only reason why Messi may be pipped by his nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo at this year's Ballon d'Or. Otherwise, when compared head to head over statistics, Messi beats Ronaldo fair and square.

Lionel Messi has 48 goals this calendar year, 11 more than Ronaldo. He is averaging a goal every 97 minutes and has also created double the chances,121 to Ronaldo's 55 this year. He was La Liga's top scorer last season with 37 goals and is set to win the golden boot this season as well (13 La Liga goals already).

But as we all know, Ballon d'Or is an accolade awarded for individual excellence along with the impact it creates for one's team which in turn, guarantees trophies. Though Messi was influential in front of the goal, his side could not replicate the levels set by Messi to win the top honours. FC Barcelona settled just for the Copa Del Rey last season which is why Messi might miss out on the Ballon d'Or this time around.

But if the recent leaks are to be believed, there is still hope for the Argentine's supporters. There have been previous occasions where the votes have gone in for statistics rather than for trophies won and if that happens, there is only one winner - Lionel Andres Messi.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo was Real Madrid's best player in the Champions League.

With 25 goals in La Liga and 12 in Champions League, Ronaldo led from the front last season to win a historic double for Real Madrid which has put him within a touching distance of winning his fifth Ballon d'Or. Though the Portuguese hitman has not set the world on fire this season, Ronaldo has had 2017 to savour.

He was Real Madrid's best player in the Champions League, without whom it would have been impossible for Los Blancos to defend their European crown. And also, Ronaldo scored in the Champions League when it mattered the most - hattrick against Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals, hattrick against Atletico Madrid in the semis and a brace in the final against Juventus. Do we need to say more to justify his #1 ranking?

He led Portugal to the World Cup with ease (scoring 11 goals in the year), reached a stunning milestone of 600 career goals in 2017 and also became only the third player ever to score in three different European Cup/ Champions League. The first half of 2017 belonged to the man from Madeira and for leading Real Madrid to a stunning double, Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the crown on his head for the fifth time.