The 2015 Ballon d'Or finalists have been announced, and the three chosen come as a surprise to approximately nobody.
The nominees, in case you live in a hole, or under a rock, or in a hole located under a rock, are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr.
A much more interesting question than who would get nominated (we guess Luis Suarez had an outside chance at Neymar's third spot, but come on) is who will win. Will Lionel Messi receive his fourth, Ronaldo his third or Neymar his first? We break it down.
The Case For The Ballon d'Or: Messi
What can you say about Messi that hasn't already been said? He's a freak of nature who the fates have graced with incredible talent and we should all be grateful that we get to watch him kick a ball for a few hours once or twice a week. He's the odds-on favorite to win his fourth Ballon d'Or, and he might win the Puskas Award too.
He's propelled Barcelona to just about every trophy you can win this season, and would have been awarded the Golden Ball at the Copa America, but refused the award. Well, if he doesn't refuse this one, it's hard to see it going to anyone else.
The Case For The Ballon d'Or: Ronaldo
Yes, he's getting older, and yes, he's getting slower, but Cristiano Ronaldo continues to put soccer balls in the back of nets at an astonishing rate. Real Madrid have been below their near-unacheivably high standards this year, but the blame could hardly fall on Cristiano's shoulders. Because much of the media coverage of him so far this year has focused on fragrances, movies and selfies, his play hasn't been examined as much as it normally is.
That should be a testament to his incredible consistency through the years. Sure he dribbles less now, but he's no less effective near the net, even on the wrong side of 30. Messi will probably win this year, but if Cristiano gets the award instead, people shouldn't be that mad.
The Case For The Ballon d'Or: Neymar
Neymar is this year's recipient of the Andres Iniesta Award for the person nominated for the Ballon d'Or who isn't Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. This is Neymar's first inclusion on this list, but, especially as Messi and Ronaldo age, this is sure not to be his last. He may even challenge to win the thing in the near future.
Messi and Ronaldo both had wins at Neymar's age, but it's hard to see him winning against Messi and Ronaldo, even if he has been doing stuff like this lately. This won't be Neymar's year, but that year is coming. We look forward to his budding Messi-Ronaldo esque rivalry with Paul Pogba. The future is bright.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
