As expected, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo snatched another award in 2014. This time it was the Ballon d’or award, or Golden Ball Award. This award is for the best soccer player of the year. In past years this award has been passed down to many legends in soccer, including: Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo de Lima, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. This years fierce competition came down to three exceptional players: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Manuel Neuer.

Lionel Messi, from FC Barcelona (where he has played since he was 13), has won countless awards including four Ballon d’ors. This year he has not lived up to previous standards as he did not score as much as expected (some believe this is due to an injury earlier in the year). On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo has played with Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, and Currently plays for Real Madrid. Ronaldo has had an astounding year, scoring 61 goals in 60 appearances. Next, Manuel Neuer has played for Schalke 04 and currently plays for Bayern Munich. Manuel Neuer has had the most saves in the Bundesliga, blowing out the competition. He is best known for his courageous moves out of the penalty box, which has given him the nickname “sweeper keeper”.

A panel of judges voted in early December for the best player. 2014’s winner was Cristiano Ronaldo with 30% of all votes. Messi came in second with 16% of all votes and Neuer in third with 15% of all votes. These results may cause debate to many people, but ultimately the decision is made by the judges in the panel in FIFA, who have the final say.