5 players who could break Neymar's dream of winning the Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Round of 16: First Leg
Neymar will face some stiff competition for the Ballon d'Or award in the future

Neymar is one of the best players in the world and has everything in the locker to win the biggest individual football award, the Ballon d'Or. Despite that, the Brazilian has never got the chance to win the award and he remains under the shadow of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The super-human duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated the award for the past decade. Many superstars emerged during that period but no one was able to break their dominance.

Neymar is the latest one and is widely regarded as the player who could break this amazing streak by Messi and Ronaldo. With both of them ageing now, this might be the right time for the Brazillian to clinch the award.

But there are other emerging players in football who might overtake Neymar and break his dream of lifting the Ballon d'Or.

Right on this note, here is a list of five players who could break Neymar's dream of winning the Ballon d'Or post the Messi-Ronaldo era.


#5 Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City FC v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League
Kevin De Bruyne has been City's best player this season.

Kevin De Bruyne is one of the many players who will keep haunting Chelsea for selling him. The Belgian international had failed to impress at Stamford Bridge and the club eventually sold him to Wolfsburg in 2014 after loaning him to Wender Bremen a year before.

He revived his career in the Bundesliga and won the Bundesliga Player of the Year award during the 2014-2015 season. His brilliant performances for Wolfsburg caught the attention of money-rich, Manchester City and they gave him a second chance in the PL by signing him in 2015.

The Belgian has been a revelation since his move to the Ethiad and has established himself as one of City's most important players. He won the Etihad Player of the Year award in 2015 and was the Premier League's top assist provider for the 2016-2017 season.

He has taken his game to the next level and has become City's best player in their inevitable march to the league title this season. He has assisted 14 goals in the league and has scored seven himself. He will be among the top contenders for the PFA Player of the Season award this season.

With Kevin De Bruyne showing no signs of stopping his development and improving with every passing season, he may well be a Ballon d'Or winner in the upcoming years.

#4 Paulo Dybala

Juventus FC v FC Internazionale Milano - TIM Cup
Paulo Dybala is considered as the long-term replacement of Lionel Messi.

There has to be something special about you if you are dubbed to replace Lionel Messi in your national side. Also Known as "La Joya" (The Jewel), Paulo Dybala is regarded the future of Argentine football and considered a long-term replacement for the legendary Lionel Messi.

Currently playing for Juventus in the Serie A, Paulo Dybala has been one of their best performers from the past few years and has been included in the Serie A Team of the Season in the last two seasons. He finished at 15th place in the Ballon d'Or 2017 rankings and was also the part of the FIFPro World XI 2nd Team in 2017.

Paulo Dybala possesses a great left foot and is a natural goal-scorer like his idol, Lionel Messi. He has played 12 games for Argentina and will be looking forward to booking his place in Argentina's squad for the upcoming World Cup in Russia.

With Real Madrid interested in signing the forward, a chance to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo can polish his skills and help him win the Ballon d'Or in the future.

#3 Kylian Mbappe

Celtic v Paris Saint Germain - UEFA Champions League
Kylian Mbappe is considered to be one of the biggest talents in football.

It is hard to believe that Kylian Mbappe is just 19-years-of-age. The French international has achieved great heights at this young age and is considered to be one of the biggest talents in football.

The 'Golden Boy' of 2017, Kylian Mbappe made his debut in 2015 at the tender age of 16 but, got his breakthrough in the 2016-2017 season. He was one of Monaco's star players during that season as they clinched the Ligue 1 title right under the noses of PSG.

AS Monaco also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2016-2017 season and Kylian Mbappe played a vital role in the team, scoring six goals in their European campaign. He finished the 2016-2017 season with 26 goals in all competitions.

His impressive performances at AS Monaco impressed PSG and they initially signed him on-loan (with a deal in place to sign him permanently in 2018) in the summer of 2017. He has created a lethal attacking front-three alongside Neymar and Edison Cavani at Parc des Princes and is most likely to win the Ligue 1 title with the club this season.

At 19, Kylian Mbappe has his best years ahead of him and it is safe to predict him winning the Ballon d'Or during his peak years.

#2 Harry Kane

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton - Premier League
Harry Kane is amongst the finest strikers in football.

One of the best strikers in the world right now, Harry Kane has been scoring goals for fun from the last few seasons.

Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, Harry Kane is one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the Premier League and has been winning the PL Golden Shoe for the last two seasons. He was also going shoulder to shoulder with Mohamed Salah for this year's Golden Boot but his recent injury has seen him fall behind the Egyptian.

Harry Kane was the England Player of the Year in 2017 and has also won the PFA Player of the Season award for the 2016-2017 season. He has also won the PL Player of the Month award for a joint-best six times.

With Real Madrid linked with a move to sign the Englishman, a move to a bigger club can him improve further and put him among the top contenders for the Ballon d'Or.

#1 Mohamed Salah

Liverpool v Chelsea - Premier League
Mohamed Salah is leading the race for European Golden Boot.

No player has played in their debut season at their club as Mohamed Salah is playing for Liverpool this season. The Egyptian has been a revelation since his move and has scored 36 goals in all competitions for the club.

When Liverpool initially signed him, Mohamed Salah was attacked by critics for his Chelsea spell and was labelled as a flop even before playing any game for Liverpool. But he started his life brilliantly at Anfield and has proved all his critics wrong with some exceptional performances.

Mohamed Salah is leading the race for the European Golden Shoe this season and has scored more goals in the league than even players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He has won the Premier League Player of the Month on three different occasions this season.

Mohamed Salah has previously been compared with Lionel Messi and if he continues to perform at the same level, he may compete with him for the Ballon d'Or award. He also won the African Footballer of the Year award in 2017.

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Edited by Ashwin Hanagudu