Ballon d'Or 2015 Predictions, Analysis: Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic Could Finally Win It All
If ego and personality were the main qualities needed to win the Ballon d'Or, Zlatan Ibrahimovic would arguably be the winner every year. There is arguably no other player in the world as entertaining as the Swede.
And his performance on the pitch has the tendency to be as massive as his personality. He scores phenomenal goals that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could only dream of. He is a towering presence that makes other defenses fearful.
But Ibrahimovic has yet to claim a Ballon d'Or. Now at age 33, his career is winding down. Could this be the year he wins the coveted trophy?
High Point
Anytime you look at Ibrahimovic, you think outlandish goals. The one against England in a friendly continues to astound years later.
But what did he deliver in 2014 that has fans sharing on social media?
Actually, there have not been many surreal moments for the Swede in the current calendar year, but he did hit some high marks throughout the start of the year.
On March 16, he passed Carlos Bianchi's club record of 39 goals in a season where he tallied twice against Saint-Etienne; he finished the season with 41. And true to form, he finished the season with a grand total of 26 goals in the French League to clinch the prize as the top scorer. He won his second straight League title with PSG and was crowned the Ligue 1's player of the year for the second straight season.
He currently has five goals for Paris Saint-Germain over the course of six league games.
Low Point
There is no denying that at age 33, with his prime likely behind him, Ibrahimovic wanted to be in Brazil this past summer.
He did make an appearance, but not on the pitch.
He could still play in the Euro at the age of 35, but it is highly doubtful that the superstar arrives in Russia to compete.
If Sweden makes it that far.
Why He Can Win
In all honesty, he really has no chance. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more goals that Ibrahimovic has in 2014, essentially ruling out the one major statistic in the Swede's favor.
His personality has always been abrasive, so he will not win any points there. It also does not help that Lionel Messi always wins the popularity contest, anyways.
Ibrahimovic did win the French Ligue 1 trophy and the two top individual awards, as well. That is something Messi and Ronaldo cannot make claims to in 2014 (Ronaldo won the individual award but not the title while Messi is actually empty-handed).
Why He Won't Win
As noted above, Ibrahimovic actually has little to no chance. He is not the top goal scorer of the year. He did not play in Brazil, something that most of the nominees did (half a dozen of the 23 nominees actually won the tournament).
Predictions
Two years ago, he finished 10th on the list and last year, when he was a tremendous scoring machine, he managed to earn 5.29 percent of the vote and land in fourth place. But there is big chance that he drops down in the standings this year to the bottom of the barrel. Expect a 20th place finish.
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