Factfile
The Ballon d’Or is the award given to the best player in the world.

This year 30 players have been nominated although it is likely to go to one of the big two.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the only winners of the award in its current form.

You need to go back to 2007 to find a different winner when Kaka topped Ronaldo and Messi - who finished second and third respectively.

And the pair are expected to head the votes again this year with Ronaldo winning the Champions League and La Liga double in May.

Ronaldo is the big favourite but we'll find out later today if he's drawn level with Messi.

When is the 2017 Ballon d’Or awards?

The 62nd edition Ballon d'Or will be held on Thursday, December 7.

The ceremony kicks-off at 6.45pm GMT, 7.45pm local time.

Where is the 2017 Ballon d’Or awards?

The ceremony is held in Paris.

Who will present the Ballon d’Or?

Former Tottenham and Newcastle winger David Ginola will present the awards ceremony.

Who will win the Ballon d’Or?

Cristiano Ronaldo is the big favourite after another stunning year.

If he is victorious he will join Lionel Messi on five Ballon d’Ors.

Similarly if Messi comes second, he will join Ronaldo on five second places.

Last year Neymar came third and he may do again.

How do you win the Ballon d’Or?

The Ballon d’Or is held by French Football magazine and they ask 173 journalists from all over the world to vote.

PS: Ballon d'Or 2017 will be at 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM

What happened last year?

Cristiano Ronaldo crowned a memorable year by being named the world's best player for a fourth time when he won the 2016 Ballon d'Or on Monday night.

The 31-year-old Portugal and Real Madrid foward topped the poll of 173 journalists worldwide.

Ronaldo played a crucial role as Real beat city rivals Atletico Madrid in May to become European champions for a record-extending 11th time.

Then two months later, Portugal triumphed at Euro 2016 in France to claim a major trophy for the first time - despite losing their talisman to injury early on in the final.

Ronaldo, who has so far scored 48 goals in 52 games for club and country during 2016, was not able to accept the award in person with the forward currently away in Japan as Real Madrid prepare for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Who is on the shortlist?

The 30-strong list is below, including England's Harry Kane:

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Leonardo Bonucci (Milan)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Edinson Cavani (PSG)
Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
Kevin de Bruyne (Man City)
David de Gea (Man Utd)
Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Edin Dzeko (Roma)
Radamel Falcao (Monaco)
Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich)
Isco (Real Madrid)
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea)
Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Sadio Mané (Liverpool)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappé (PSG)
Dries Mertens (Napoli)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Neymar (PSG)
Jan Oblak (Atlético Madrid)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Luis Suárez (Barcelona).

Breakdown of nominees by League

England - 7
Spain - 11
France - 4
Germany - 3
Italy - 5

Breakdown of nominees by club

Atletico Madrid - 2
Barcelona - 2
Bayern Munich - 2
Borrusia Dortmund - 1
Chelsea - 2
Juventus - 2
Liverpool - 2
Man City - 1
Man United - 1
Milan - 1
Monaco - 1
Napoli - 1
PSG - 3
Real Madrid - 7
Roma -1
Tottenham - 1

Sanchez01:
Reserved...

Spacebooking tinz

Opinion poll: Between these two, who will walk away with the prize tonight?

Like for Messi, Share for Ronaldo

CR7 is the password..

vacancy

CR7 wins his fifth balon'or

anibirelawal:
vacancy

miremoses:
.

verygudbadguy:
Ok

Una well done

Cristiano Ronaldo leaked boot suggests he will beat Lionel Messi and claim fifth Ballon d'Or



Leaked pictures of a new pair of Nike boots have suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo will win his fifth Ballon d'Or next week.

Pictures shared on Instagram show the words 'Quinto Triumfo', or 'fifth triumph' inscribed on the boots.

The boots also include the numbers 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016 - the years Ronaldo has previously won the award - as well as 2017, implying he is in line for another trophy.

France Football will announce the winner of the 2017 Ballon d'Or on Thursday afternoon.

Ronaldo became the first ever player to score in all six games in a Champions League group stage with his goal against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, and was recently named Fifa Player of the Year at an award ceremony in London.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is confident Ronaldo will win the award.

"Ronaldo is one of our great symbols," he said.

"He is the leading goalscorer in our history. A few days ago, he won his second "The Best" and this week he is going to win his fifth Ballon d'Or."

Me: Ronaldo vencerá a Messi a este

Sanchez01:



Una well done

You sef use scope book space abi. I am watching you o. Very soon, you go come edit.

^{'Quinto Triumfo' ('fifth triumph') inscribed on the boots of Ronaldo}

Mynd44
Mukina2
Lalasticlala

The fact is, if Ronaldo wins 20 ballon'dor, Messi is still the Greatest of all time. Only real madrid fans dispute this. Infact, when they both retire, Football should be renamed in honor of Messi, and Penalty be renamed in respect of Ronaldo. Messi is like football itself and Ronaldo as to Penalty which is part of football. Such is their respective influence in the game.

willjoe:
The fact is, if Ronaldo wins 20 ballon'dor, Messi is still the Greatest of all time. Only real madrid fans dispute this. Infact, when they both retire, Football should be renamed in honor of Messi, and Penalty be renamed in respect of Ronaldo. Messi is like football itself and Ronaldo as to Penalty which is part of football. Such is their respective influence in the game.

ur posts is of sentiments. if an ordinary penalty taker has the same no of balon dor as the greatest player ever, then something is wrong somewhere

[s]

willjoe:
The fact is, if Ronaldo wins 20 ballon'dor, Messi is still the Greatest of all time. Only real madrid fans dispute this. Infact, when they both retire, Football should be renamed in honor of Messi, and Penalty be renamed in respect of Ronaldo. Messi is like football itself and Ronaldo as to Penalty which is part of football. Such is their respective influence in the game.

[/s]
Messi fanboy.

1. History would ask how a Ronaldo keenly contested the most individual coveted prize in football against your all time great such that he won it just as the same amount as him.
2. History would ask how a young, charismatic, onetime Lisbon player took the Premier League by storm to become a force, left for Spain to become a phenom.
3. History would ask how Ronaldo scored 50 goals in six consecutive seasons in the same league Messi is known for when he clearly could not do same.
4. History would ask how a Ronaldo was the first player in the history of the La liga to score against every team in a single season where Messi had been playing prior his arrival in 2009.
5. History would ask why Ronaldo won a senior national silverware while your so-called all time great cost his team a final by shooting a penalty kick into the sky, cried like a sissy and announced his retirement because he could not handle failure.
6. History would also ask why Ronaldo was announced the most complete footballer alive when Messi played in his era.
7. History would ask why Messi refused to play elsewhere but Barcelona while Ronaldo moved from Lisbon to Manchester United, became the club's iconic star and moved to Real to become goalkeeper's nightmare.
8. History would ask how a Ronaldo overtook Messi in the Champions League all time scoring chart to become its all time goal scorer.

Ronaldo would not only go down as an inspiration to players who are not regarded, but would be regarded as the best thing to happen to goal scoring feats in modern day football. One word best describe him and that is GENUIS.

Educate yourself, biko: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_FIFA_Football_Awards




Mynd44
Mukina2
Lalasticlala

And we are LIVE!

​THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

France Football have started releasing the top 30 nominees in order of votes.

The dream has died for joint-29th place Dries Mertens and Philippe Coutinho.

Edin Dzeko is 28th, Mats Hummels in 27th and Jan Oblak is 26th.

Karim Benzema is named in 25th place.

The Reborn Radamel Falcao lands in 24th place.

We have the second Liverpool player in the 30-man shortlist next as Sadio Mane is 23rd.

Just missing out on the top 20 is Leonardo Bonucci, once of Juventus and now at AC Milan.

Joining Leonardo Bonucci in joint-21st place is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Lalasticlala

David De Dea sneaks into the top 20!

Eden Hazard is in at 19th, with Chelsea team-mate N'Golo Kante yet to be announced.

PREMIER LEAGUE STARS

Philippe Coutinho: 29th
Sadio Mane: 23rd
David De Gea: 20th
Eden Hazard: 19th

Still to be announced:
N'Golo Kante
Kevin De Bruyne
Harry Kane

Antoine Griezmann lands at 18th in the Ballon d'Or rankings.

Sanchez01:
Antoine Griezmann lands at 18th in the Ballon d'Or rankings.

♤Wow

♤Bad year for him.He needs a transfer ASAP

RoyalBlak007:

♤Wow

♤Bad year for him.He needs a transfer ASAP

Antoine Griezmann is good but he came at a wrong era. It would take more than the ordinary to survive in an era dictated by Messi and Ronaldo. It is no surprising that the likes of Ibrahimovic, Hazard, Robben, Ribery, et al, have all been relegated to the background.

Toni Kroos is next out, sitting at 17th place.

Real Madrid defender Marcelo is in at 16th, and now we await the top 15.

WHO'S LEFT?

Neymar
N'Golo Kante
Luka Modric
Paulo Dybala
Harry Kane
Robert Lewandowski
Kevin De Bruyne
Edinson Cavani
Luis Suarez
Sergio Ramos
Gianluigi Buffon
Cristiano Ronaldo
Isco
Lionel Messi
Kylian Mbappe