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#2 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
The 2008 and 2014 FIFA World Player of the Year did justice to being one of the best players on the planet by scoring 51 goals in 47 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid last season. He has been phenomenal at the club level by being instrumental in both Real Madrid and Manchester United winning domestic and European honors.
What makes him a larger than life footballer is his superhuman ability to do things on the field which the average players can only dream of. He is capable of creating moments of magic be it assisting or scoring the defining goal almost in every match at the club level. However, when it comes to the international stage he is a marked man to the extent that his performances are made the reason for Portugal’s failures. He is unfortunate to be caught in this paradox.
CR7 has been unlucky as Portugal does not boast of players to support him or win on their own merit. He is always expected to be the lynchpin and carry the team on his shoulders. It has worked on some occasions where his magnificence has pulled them through; a point in case would be the World Cup playoffs against Sweden earlier this year. However, in most cases they are dealt with setbacks as negating CR7 negates the entire team. It is an irony that despite his club success he has not been able to make a mark at the international level.
"We're probably just an average team. I'd be lying if I said we were a top team," Ronaldo said. "Portugal was never a favorite (at the World Cup). I honestly never thought I would be a World Cup champion."
