'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgb/2gAIAQEAAAAAM5//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAF//xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEEgAFB3IGIsL/2gAIAQEAAT8A8Y4y223S3mO9nFZeshidURkiYBWJI7nHqNTcT2o5nRbFXFWIHsR86//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAv/aAAgBAgEBPwA03//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABIf/aAAgBAwEBPwBU/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Ballon d’Or Award has been dominated by the duo of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the past decade.
Both of them have won the award 5 time each so far and are favoured to win again this year, depending on performances at the World Cup. However, some players have emerged who could give the eternal duo a run for their money.
The Premier League being one of the best leagues is a host to some of these talents and having been overshadowed by the Spanish La Liga for the better part of two decades now, it is time someone from the league steps up to compete.
The last Premier League based player to win the Ballon d'Or was Ronaldo himself in 2008, no other England-based player has come close to competing for the prestigious award. Nevertheless, times are changing and some players are looking like they have what it takes to compete for the top individual titles.
Here is a look at 5 top Premier League talents who could win the prestigious award in the nearest future:
#5 Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)
Despite being just 22-year-old, Alli has established himself as one of the biggest footballing talents in the world.
Known for his finishing ability and creative talents, he joined Spurs from MK Dons in 2015 and has played 106 Premier League games, scoring 37 goals for the club. Alli was twice named the PFA Young Player of the Season, in the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons and was also a part of the Team of the Year for both seasons.
The tyro scored nine goals in 36 games in the league last season and made 10 assists. He also scored two goals and made four assists in the Champions League.
The Tottenham man has scored two goals in 24 games for England and his creativity will play an important part for the Three Lions at the World Cup. With his peak years ahead of him, he could be competing with the world's best for the Ballon d'Or in the near future.
#4 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sterling is one of the best wide-men in England right now with his pace and trickery a key reason behind Manchester City's historic run last season.
He started his professional career with QPR before moving to Liverpool where he made his league debut at the age of 17. He stayed for four seasons with the Merseyside club, scoring 18 goals in 95 Premier League games and was voted as Liverpool's Young Player of the Season for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.
His interesting displays for the Reds caught the attention of Manchester City and they signed him in the summer of 2015. He started his career at City slowly but has improved as he has grown and has become more experienced.
He finished the just concluded season with double figures for the first time scoring 18 goals and making 11 assists in the Premier League. He also excelled in Europe's elite competition, scoring four goals in eight games.
With one of the best managers in the world, Pep Guardiola in charge at the Ethiad, Sterling can learn a lot from him and challenge for the Ballon d'Or in the future.
A graduate of Spurs' academy, Kane is one of the most prolific goal-scorers in the Premier League and won the Golden Boot for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons.
The London-born striker has voted the PFA Player of the Season in the 2016/17 campaign. He has also won the Player of the Month award six times, an all-time record held alongside Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard.
The 24-year-old scored 30 league goals in the 2017-2018 season and provided 3 assists. He scored goals at the rate of one goal per game in the Champions League with seven goals in seven appearances.
His prolific record has naturally attracted the attention of bigger clubs with UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid rumoured to be interested in making a bid for him.
The Tottenham man will be England's main man at the upcoming World Cup and a good outing in Russia can bolster his chances to win the Ballon d'Or.
#2 Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
De Bruyne is one of the many players whose current performances are an indictment of Chelsea's recruitment policy. The Belgian international failed to impress at Stamford Bridge and the club eventually sold him to Wolfsburg in 2014 after loaning him to Werder 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 Manchester City which signed him for a then-club record fee of £55m in 2015.
The Belgian international's intelligence, passing ability, and world-class assists have made him the main source of creativity for the Cityzens, he finished the last season as the king of assists in the league with 16.
With Guardiola in charge of the Premier League champions and showing a lot of confidence in the Belgian, the future is certainly looking bright for de Bruyne and he is in with a shout for the biggest individual awards in the next couple of years.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The Egyptian has been a revelation since his move to Anfield and is considered as the latest threat to unseating the icons: Messi and Ronaldo.
The former Chelsea man won the PFA Player of the Year last season as he emerged as the league's top scorer with 32 goals. He also played a vital part in Liverpool's impressive run to the final of Europe's elite club competition scoring 10 goals and making 4 assists.
His tendency to shine in the big games saw him emerge as Liverpool's unlikely leader last season. He won the Champions League's Player of the Week award on three occasions along with three Player of the Month accolades in the Premier League - the most for any player in a single season.
With Liverpool's exciting run in the Champions League 2017/2018 still fresh in the memory and him being declared fit for the World Cup, Salah is perhaps the one Egland-based player with the best chance of getting his hands on the Ballon d'Or if he continues his impressive form.
