Ballon d'Or 2015 Predictions: Why Thomas Mueller Is Among Favorites to Win FIFA Player of the Year
Miroslav Klose is the highest scoring player in World Cup history. But the German might find his record broken by a countryman as soon as 2018 in Russia.
The man who could break his record is none other than 25-year-old Thomas Mueller. The Bayern Munich star has had a tremendous 2014 and is among the favorites to take hold of the Ballon d'Or. But has he done enough to win it all?
Top Moment
Here is a break down of Mueller's performance in Brazil this summer.
Five goals. Three assists.
The only other player to produce better in the World Cup? James Rodriguez and his six strikes.
That's right, Mueller was better than Lionel Messi at producing for his country and was arguably the man who led the way to the championship.
He scored a hat trick in the opener against Portugal before scoring against the United States and Brazil.
He also added three assists in the process while completing 2.3 shots per game and 2.3 key passes per game. And he did this all while serving as a false nine for Germany. It was not always an easy strategy, but Mueller did his best to make it work for his country.
Low Point
Those following this series will probably feel like this is a broken record at this point. But Mueller was on the Bayern Munich side that had to endure a painful 4-0 loss at home against Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinal.
The team entered the match as heavy favorites but did not even make the half-hour mark alive and well.
Why He Could Win It
It's all about goals right? Mueller is not scoring at the breathtaking pace of Messi or Ronaldo, but he did something neither of them has done all year: win a World Cup.
And not only did he win the elusive tournament, but he was also the second best scorer in the entire tournament. And his assists were second best in the tournament as well, only behind teammate Toni Kroos.
Messi made it to the final, but all he managed in the tournament was four goals and an assist. And he lost the big game without really turning up to play.
And Ronaldo really does not even belong in that particular discussion. He also has eight goals and four assists for his club this season in 14 matches.
He also won two trophies with Bayern Munich while leading the team in scoring in the Champions League.
Why He Will Not Win It
This comes down to one thing: scoring goals. Mueller has certainly done well in 2014, but all of his goals in 24 combined do not equal the tallies Ronaldo has put up in the last two months.
Messi also scored at a higher rate, and it became clear that he was the favored son in terms of personal recognition when he was handed the Golden Ball after the final. That trophy probably should have been in Mueller's hands after all the events that transpired.
Predictions
Mueller could easily finish anywhere from 10 to three in this competition. Many have the German making the top three, but few to none have him actually winning it all.
A top five finish would be a major win to Mueller. But he has already won the most important trophy. Anything is gravy at this point.
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