Ronaldo’s turn for the Ballon d’Or (Video)

“Without Ronaldo, Real Madrid are an average team,” according to BBC “Pundit” Robbie Savage. Now, while that isn’t necessarily the case, far from it in fact, it highlights the importance of Cristiano Ronaldo to the reigning La Liga champions.

You only have to look at his record since arriving for a record breaking £80m back in 2009 to fully understand how imperative he is to the Spanish giants, having netted an astonishing 161 goals in 156 appearances in all competitions.

As such, Ronaldo is regularly in the thoughts of all those involved in the Ballon d’Or voting around this time of year. However, the Real ace is often pipped to the award by a man with 268 goals to his name since his debut eight years ago; that of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

It isn’t a shock to see the Argentine pick up the accolade on an almost yearly basis; his record speaks for itself. It can even be argued that the Ballon d’Or is deservedly his, regardless of the exploits of his Portuguese counterpart.

Nevertheless, when you remember the standard that Ronaldo plays up, coupled with overcoming his doubters over the past 12 months, it is time the wideman receives the recognition that he deserves.

While Messi will likely pick up the Ballon d’Or when the winner is announced, many now believe that the 27-year-old will be picked up the award for the just the second time. While many do run the pair close, Andres Iniesta and Xavi both made up the podium along with the Argentine star last year as just two examples, Ronaldo is still deserving of the accolade and will be lifting the trophy later this year.