Last year, Franck Ribery was among the top three performers in the world and was seen as a contender to win the Ballon d'Or.

Much to his dismay, that never occurred, but it represented a huge step for French soccer as the country had not seen a player given as much honor since the days of Zinedine Zidane.

Those days could be back in full force with Paul Pogba. The French midfielder is only 21 but is making waves with his first Ballon d'Or shortlist.

But has he accomplished enough in 2014 to win it all?

Top Moment

Pogba was not expected to be France's main man in Brazil. And yet he quietly turned into the team's most important player with his tremendous poise in the center of the pitch.

He completed 81 percent of his passes while scoring a goal and an assist in the tournament. He averaged a clearance per game and was active in breaking up opposition attacks while setting up France's.

For his tremendous efforts, he was awarded with the Best Young Player of the Tournament award over Memphis Depay and fellow Frenchman Raphael Varane.

Low Point

Pogba may have won the trophy for being the best young player but he was far from his best in the game that mattered most. In a match in which his nation looked lost against Germany, Pogba did not shine. He only completed 71 percent of his passes while getting 55 touches. He made a total of one key pass in the entire game and committed three fouls on the evening. He had just one clearance and one tackle and was largely invisible throughout the biggest match of his career, up to that point.

Why He Could Win It

He has been fantastic overall in 2014 and has led Juventus and France in a great many games. Few will forget the antics and technique he put on in a friendly against Spain. At one point, he literally embarrassed Spain's defenders in the middle of the pitch with some nifty footwork. At the end of the game, he made an intelligent play to eat up the clock at one of the corners of the pitch.

He already has three goals and one assist on the season for Juventus and finished 2013-14 with seven goals and seven assists. He is averaging 1.8 key passes (up from 1.3 last season) and is committing less fouls than last year.

Why He Will Not Win It

Unfortunately for the growing Frenchman, Pogba has no major leverage on other top contenders. He is not a ruthless goalscorer or even playmaker. He has tremendous influence in the center of the pitch, but there are other players that are at better points in their careers.

He did not win a World Cup with France or a Champions League or Europa League title with Juventus.

Pogba may finish in the top three at some point in his career, but he will not achieve that feat in 2014.

Predictions

He will win finish anywhere from 15 to 23.