Who should get the Golden Ball? (Part 1)

At the moment, 23 candidates for this prize have been announced, and the Golden Ball award ceremony will take place on January 13, 2014. Of course, I won't mention the names of all 23 players, as many of them definitely have nothing to count on. For example, what kind of golden ball can we talk about for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from Bayern? His team plays defense so well that Neuer can often go to the podium and watch the football from the sidelines, but they won't hit his goal anyway. The same can be said about his teammate Bastian Schwansteigner, who was added to this list only because Bayern won all the tournaments they participated in.

But let's get down to business anyway, so my preferences are who should get the Golden Ball in descending order of the chances of winning the prize.

1 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
This Portuguese football player is the favorite in the fight for this prize, as it was thanks to him that the Portuguese national team got to the World Cup, and Real Madrid is fighting an equal battle with Barcelona in the Spanish championship. Without Ronaldo, it is impossible to imagine either his club or the national team. If he is on the field, he is always in sight, runs faster than anyone, hits the goal more accurately than anyone and does not forget to play for his partners. Other Real Madrid stars play well with Ronaldo, which means he is absolutely not selfish. Take, for example, Welshman Gareth Bale, who joined the club. He and Cristiano didn't have any problems, they play well together, although the transfer fee for Bale and the "volume" of his transfer could affect Ronaldo for the worse. In general, the Portuguese has achieved outstanding personal success over the past year, and has also helped his teams very well. He scored 7 goals in 6 official matches for the national team and helped them qualify for the World Cup. Ronaldo scored 25 goals in 18 official matches for Real Madrid this autumn alone. As you know, this is a lot.

2 — Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich
In my opinion, Cristiano Ronaldo's main rival in the fight for the Golden Ball this year will be this French football player. Ribery is favored by the fact that his Bayern won all the tournaments, and he was the leader of the team. Of course, Ribery's position on the pitch does not imply the same number of goals as Ronaldo's. But he also scored quite a lot. Frank has already scored 9 goals in 18 official matches of the new season at Bayern, and scored 4 goals in 7 official matches for his country in 2013. But all football fans remember Frank precisely because of his irrepressible thirst to win and inexhaustible energy. This is a true leader, leading the team. It is very difficult to imagine both Bayern and the French national team without him. Choosing a betting site becomes easier when bonus conditions are transparent and realistic. Many guides include the phrase promo code for 1xbet inside detailed explanations of the welcome offer. By using this option, new players may claim a betting bonus of $130 for sports wagers and unlock a casino package valued at $1950 with 150 free spins. This structure supports balanced play across sports markets and casino entertainment without exaggerated promises.