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It's August and all the top European leagues kick off this month. The Premier League kicks off tomorrow with Liverpool taking on Norwich City and all the players will be itching to get back on the pitch.
Winning things for the club is a big deal for all players and every single one of them on the pitch would have it on their mind at some point. However, there are a few elite footballers who not only look to win things for their clubs, but for themselves too.
There are over 15 players in the running for Ballon d'Or this year but the top 3 are far away from the rest at the moment. The performances from January 1st to July 31st have been counted in this ranking and without further ado, here are the top 10:
#10 – Kylian Mbappe
Last month's ranking saw Kylian Mbappe drop from 5th to 10th and the Frenchman stays at the same position for another month. The fall in ranking is unfortunate as he has been on vacation for the last 2 months and the only reason why he suffered this fall is that the others were playing.
Mbappe did not play a single competitive game in July and thus, he had no chance of improving his ranking at all. The good news for him, however, is that he will be leading the charge for PSG this season and is going to have a very good chance of making it back in the top 5 in no time.
Neymar's transfer situation might be a blessing for Mbappe as he will have more authority at the club and the limelight will be on him even more. As long as he starts the season well and performs well in the Champions League too, the PSG star will be in the top 5 be at the end of November.
#9 – Mohamed Salah
July wasn't a month to remember for Mohamed Salah but he did manage to score once in the 2 games he played. The Egyptian helped his side win against Uganda in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations but in the Round of 16, he could not do much at all.
He was easily the worst player on the pitch against South Africa that day and nothing he tried was working. Salah's side lost the game 1-0 and were eventually knocked out of the tournament.
The season kicks off tomorrow for him against Norwich City and he would have a lot to do to get anywhere close to the top. He's not been at his best this year and it will take a lot for him to finish on the podium like he did last year.
However, given that he plays as a forward and has a lot of games to play in the next 4 months, things can change easily in his favour.
#8 – Raheem Sterling
Manchester City have been riding on Raheem Sterling's form for some time now and his teammates have done more than enough to support him. The Englishman has been in good form this year and will have to hit the ground running this season as well.
Sterling did not play a single competitive game in July and thus has a small drop in his ranking once again. The forward for 4th in May saw his ranking come down to 7th last month. And due to him not having any matches to play in July, he has come down to 8th now.
It will take a lot out of Sterling to finish in the top half of the ranking this year but his incredible performances will never be forgotten by the fans. The fixtures in cup games have always been in favour of City and Sterling will have to take advantage of that to get his ranking up.
#7 – Sadio Mane
So close, yet so far! Sadio Mane's Senegal came very close to winning the Africa Cup of Nations but a deflected goal in the final saw them finish runners-up. The Liverpool forward has been at his best this year and deserves to be in the top half of the ranking by the end of the year.
However, he will have to perform well to maintain his upward climb in the ranking. He was 10th at one point but has slowly been crawling up and has moved from 9th to 7th this month.
He's expected to be back in business soon but might miss the first match of the season as he was not available for the pre-season matches. Just like Salah, Mane will also have a lot of matches to play in the next 4 months and if he helps Liverpool win the majority of the matches, there will be nothing stopping him from making it to the top half.
#6 – Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard has not had the best of starts at Real Madrid but it is just the pre-season right now. The Belgian was 5th in the ranking last month and his poor performances in pre-season have seen his ranking take a slight hit. While the pre-season games count for nothing, he was expected to hit the ground running and that's something he couldn't do.
The former Chelsea man has been at his best this year and helped the Blues win the Europa League in stunning fashion. They defeated Arsenal 4-1 in the final with Hazard scoring twice and assisting once in his final game for the club.
Under Zidane, he is now expected to take his game to another level and if he does, there is no doubt that he will be lifting the Ballon d'Or in a couple of years. As for 2019, it is unlikely that Hazard will finish on the podium but a top-half finish is still a possibility.
#5 – Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was involved in 2 pre-season matches for Juventus in July and he managed to score in both. The Portuguese star has seen this help his ranking as he has moved from 6th to 5th this month.
Ronaldo will be leading the charge once again for Juventus this season and under Maurizio Sarri, he might be getting a lot more freedom. The manager has openly admitted that the 10 players on the pitch will have to do as he says while the former Real Madrid ace is up there to finish things.
It's not a difficult task still for Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or this year but he will have to do something magical soon. The ones ahead of him have been on another level this season but then again, Ronaldo is used to challenges and is bound to step up for Juventus when needed.
#4 – Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has a drop in his ranking this month because of his poor performances in Copa America. The Argentine lost both matches he was involved in July and was even sent off in the match against Chile.
While the red card might have been a very controversial one and something that should have never happened, it remains on official records forever. Messi might argue that they were outdone by the officials more than the Brazil players in the semi-final, he ended up on the losing side despite his best efforts.
With Antoine Griezmann joining Messi in attack this season at Barcelona, there is a good chance for the Argentine to head up the ranking once again. However, he will have to do a lot as the top 3 right now have been at their best this whole year and are expected to maintain that level.
#3 – Alisson Becker
Not only did Alisson Becker win the Champions League and Copa America, but he also played a vital role in both victories. The Brazilian has been at his best this year and has been a wall in goal.
Alisson played 2 matches in July and kept a clean sheet against Argentine in the semi-final. The goalkeeper is expected to start the season in a similar fashion when he takes his place against Norwich City in the season opener.
The former AS Roma star has done enough for a podium finish and with so many games coming up in the next 4 months, it will be easy for him to maintain this ranking, as long as he performs well.
While a Ballon d'Or win is unlikely right now, there is no doubt that he is the best keeper in the world right now and deserves a lot more credit than he's getting.
#2 – Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva is a silent hero right now for Manchester City. He might not be someone who scores and assists a lot but without him, the Cityzens wouldn't have been as successful as they were last season.
Not only for his club side, but the Portuguese star was stunning for his national team too. He was their best player in the UEFA Nations League and won the Best Player of the Tournament award too.
He was ranked at #2 last month as well and as he was not involved in any competitive game in July, there is no change in his ranking. He is expected to be one of the first names on the team sheet for Pep Guardiola and if he plays like he did last season, there is no doubt that he will be fighting for the Ballon d'Or trophy in December.
#1 – Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk has been the best player this year and there is just no way past him for any player. From March 2018 to July 2019, there has been no player who has managed to dribble past him and that is something not many legendary defenders can boast about.
Just like Salah, Mane and Alisson, Van Dijk will be involved in the majority of the Liverpool games in the next 4 months and they have a lot of them. The Dutchman just needs to be at his best once again and if he continues to help the Reds win games, there is no way anyone can stop him from winning the Ballon d'Or this year.
Van Dijk has been on the top of the ranking for a couple of months now and the ones who can give him a tough competition have not been at their best in recent months.
