#4 Lionel Messi
The Argentine striker is unarguably one of the best in the history of football and the best along with Ronaldo, in the modern world. He is a prolific goal scorer and has been phenomenal throughout his career. The Barcelona striker might have been the strongest contender for the Ballon d'Or, had he performed well at the World Cup. But unfortunately, he wasn't at his best.
He scored once and assisted twice at the World Cup and although that is great for most players, a lot more is expected from a 5 time Ballon d'Or winner. He scored 45 goals and assisted a further 18 in 54 games last season. His chances of winning the Ballon d'Or for a record 6th time look bleak due to, his below average World Cup.