With the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or already known (Manuel Neuer, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo), Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon chimed in on the award's potential winner. According to the 36-year-old, it's Ronaldo who is primed to lift the golden ball for a second consecutive year.
"It will probably go to Cristiano Ronaldo," he told FIFA (via AS). "Even if he hadn't won the Champions League, the player who is the best at a particular moment should be rewarded. Cristiano, in addition to having a splendid career and maintaining a high level of performance over a long period, has done something exceptional over the last two years and deserves the recognition."
Though Buffon voiced his expectations for the award, he hasn't changed his tune on which footballer reigns supreme.
"That said, I still think that Messi is still the best overall because when he is 100 percent, he is simply sublime to watch," he added. "But there is not much difference between the two. They are playing at such a high level that if one drops just a little, the other will overtake him."
A goalkeeper by trade, Buffon shared his admiration for the third finalist and his accomplishments; however, he openly admitted the difficulties a shot-stopper faces in pursuit of football's most prestigious individual award. Lev Yashin remains the only keeper to collect the Ballon d'Or, a mere 51 years ago (1963).
"It's not just that it's difficult, but there are also historical situations and moments that end up deciding these awards," he continued. "Yashin was certainly exceptional, one of the greats, but I think the fact that he came from a country about which people knew little helped."
"Although to win the Ballon d'Or, you have to have something special in comparison with the rest."
Lifting a World Cup trophy falls under that special category, but it won't be enough for Neuer to supplant Ronaldo, the most in-form talent in all of football.
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