If personal achievements is what the Ballon d'Or is judged by then Cristiano Ronaldo has had a better year than Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Cristiano Ronaldo may rarely be the favourite in a popularity contest, but the facts don't lie and, despite Barcelona's trophy haul, it was Real Madrid's goal king supreme who shone brightest in 2015.
By it's very nature the Ballon d'Or was created to reward outstanding individual achievement, not merely a cherry on the top of the cake for those who won the most trophies in the previous 12 months.
Ronaldo was rightly crowned the world's best for a third time last year just months after Germany won the World Cup. Lionel Messi beat off Barca team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta after Spain had done the same four years previously, and won his last Ballon d'Or after Madrid had won the league in 2012 thanks to an extraordinary goal-scoring record of the likeRonaldo produced last year.
If the precedent of personal over collective glory is to be repeated, it isRonaldo who is deserving of a fourth Ballon d'Or to match Messi's record collection come Monday evening.
There is no doubting Messi and Neymar's brilliance. Along with Luis Suarez they have formed one of the most frightening frontlines football has ever seen, but that is what makes Ronaldo's achievements all the greater.
The former Manchester United man couldn't rely on the injury prone and out of form Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to have his back on a bad day, yet he still scored more goals in fewer games (54 in 52) than either Messi (48 in 53) or Neymar (41 in 53).
In the year he turned 30, 2015 was supposedly the start of Ronaldo's decline. Yet, in the past 12 months he shot past Messi to become the top-scorer of all-time in the Champions League and became the top marksman in the history of the world's most decorated club.
Think about that for a second. Think of all the great strikers to have graced the Bernabeu: Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Emilio Butragueno, Ronaldo, Raul.
None of them come close to Ronaldo's unparallelled consistency of 338 goals in 324 games. He reigned in Raul's record despite playing over 400 games fewer for Madrid than the Spanish legend.
It's in vogue to knock Ronaldo's stats as meaningless Madrid excess against La Liga's minnows.
He's supposedly slowing down, over the hill, Madrid even reported to be considering selling their greatest asset whilst they can still claim a world record fee.
Yet, just last month he proved he's still the most clinical player in Europe by breaking his own record tally for a Champions League group stage with 11.
If it was that easy, how come Neymar and Suarez weren't doing likewise against the likes of BATE Borisov in Messi's injury absence?
Whilst the Argentine was on the sidelines for two months from September to November, Barca barely skipped a beat proving there is no such thing as Messi-dependence.
By contrast, Madrid are a one-man show where even Ronaldo's brilliance can be undone by the faults of others. Just like Messi, Ronaldo hit two goals in the Champions League semi-finals. Is it his fault at the other end of the field the crumbling Iker Casillas couldn't catch a cold camping in the Highland winter?
Moreover, he isn't just a star on the field. He may not be expecting anOscar to sit alongside his golden balls on the mantle piece, but his self-titled documentary was the preening peacock Ronaldo at his best. A 90-minute peak into at an times vacuous lifestyle, but one solely focused on being the best he can be.
It may be arrogant, egotistical and self-centred - where his rippled topless torso is given 12 times as much air-time than six glorious years at Manchester United - but his obsession to be the best is what makes him great.
He is Marmite; millions love him, millions hate him. But he generates emotion unlike the impassive Messi - who relies on an increasingly outrageous selection of suits to make waves on the red carpet.
Two years ago there were tears of joy when Ronaldo finally broke Messi's four-year grip on the title as the world's best player.
Last year his ebullient "SIIII" celebration brought mockery and memes, but has been copied in grounds around Spain in equal measure by those who love and hate him.
Who doesn't want to see what weird and wonderful reaction Ronaldo has up his sleeve should he match Messi's four Ballon d'Or haul as he promised last January?
The rumours over a return to the Premier League refuse to die down because, like his film, Ronaldo is box office. The Premier League was lucky to have him and could do with a dose of his star dust in a season dominated by the big guns' mediocrity.
For now he should be treasured from afar as a goal-getter unlike any other the world has ever seen, and for that reason should be crowned the world's best once more in Zurich.
Cristiano Ronaldo may rarely be the favourite in a popularity contest, but the facts don't lie and, despite Barcelona's trophy haul, it was Real Madrid's goal king supreme who shone brightest in 2015.
By it's very nature the Ballon d'Or was created to reward outstanding individual achievement, not merely a cherry on the top of the cake for those who won the most trophies in the previous 12 months.
Ronaldo was rightly crowned the world's best for a third time last year just months after Germany won the World Cup. Lionel Messi beat off Barca team-mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta after Spain had done the same four years previously, and won his last Ballon d'Or after Madrid had won the league in 2012 thanks to an extraordinary goal-scoring record of the likeRonaldo produced last year.
If the precedent of personal over collective glory is to be repeated, it isRonaldo who is deserving of a fourth Ballon d'Or to match Messi's record collection come Monday evening.
There is no doubting Messi and Neymar's brilliance. Along with Luis Suarez they have formed one of the most frightening frontlines football has ever seen, but that is what makes Ronaldo's achievements all the greater.
The former Manchester United man couldn't rely on the injury prone and out of form Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema to have his back on a bad day, yet he still scored more goals in fewer games (54 in 52) than either Messi (48 in 53) or Neymar (41 in 53).
In the year he turned 30, 2015 was supposedly the start of Ronaldo's decline. Yet, in the past 12 months he shot past Messi to become the top-scorer of all-time in the Champions League and became the top marksman in the history of the world's most decorated club.
Think about that for a second. Think of all the great strikers to have graced the Bernabeu: Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Emilio Butragueno, Ronaldo, Raul.
None of them come close to Ronaldo's unparallelled consistency of 338 goals in 324 games. He reigned in Raul's record despite playing over 400 games fewer for Madrid than the Spanish legend.
It's in vogue to knock Ronaldo's stats as meaningless Madrid excess against La Liga's minnows.
He's supposedly slowing down, over the hill, Madrid even reported to be considering selling their greatest asset whilst they can still claim a world record fee.
Yet, just last month he proved he's still the most clinical player in Europe by breaking his own record tally for a Champions League group stage with 11.
If it was that easy, how come Neymar and Suarez weren't doing likewise against the likes of BATE Borisov in Messi's injury absence?
Whilst the Argentine was on the sidelines for two months from September to November, Barca barely skipped a beat proving there is no such thing as Messi-dependence.
By contrast, Madrid are a one-man show where even Ronaldo's brilliance can be undone by the faults of others. Just like Messi, Ronaldo hit two goals in the Champions League semi-finals. Is it his fault at the other end of the field the crumbling Iker Casillas couldn't catch a cold camping in the Highland winter?
Moreover, he isn't just a star on the field. He may not be expecting anOscar to sit alongside his golden balls on the mantle piece, but his self-titled documentary was the preening peacock Ronaldo at his best. A 90-minute peak into at an times vacuous lifestyle, but one solely focused on being the best he can be.
It may be arrogant, egotistical and self-centred - where his rippled topless torso is given 12 times as much air-time than six glorious years at Manchester United - but his obsession to be the best is what makes him great.
He is Marmite; millions love him, millions hate him. But he generates emotion unlike the impassive Messi - who relies on an increasingly outrageous selection of suits to make waves on the red carpet.
Two years ago there were tears of joy when Ronaldo finally broke Messi's four-year grip on the title as the world's best player.
Last year his ebullient "SIIII" celebration brought mockery and memes, but has been copied in grounds around Spain in equal measure by those who love and hate him.
Who doesn't want to see what weird and wonderful reaction Ronaldo has up his sleeve should he match Messi's four Ballon d'Or haul as he promised last January?
The rumours over a return to the Premier League refuse to die down because, like his film, Ronaldo is box office. The Premier League was lucky to have him and could do with a dose of his star dust in a season dominated by the big guns' mediocrity.
For now he should be treasured from afar as a goal-getter unlike any other the world has ever seen, and for that reason should be crowned the world's best once more in Zurich.
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