Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes missing
out on the World
Cup this summer
could cost him his chance to win the Ballon d'Or. The Paris Saint-Germain star was
named on the 23-man shortlist
for Fifa's most prestigious
individual prize earlier this week, along with typical candidates
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
and six members of Germany's
World Cup-winning side. Ibrahimovic scored 41 goals in 46
appearances in all competitions
last season as PSG lifted both the
Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de la
Ligue but, although he feels
2013-14 was arguably his strongest ever campaign, the
Sweden international accepts it
may not be enough. "I think I have just played the
best season of my career,"
Ibrahimovic told PSG TV. "That's
one of my objectives: to be
better each year and always
improve. "I've been nominated, but it will be
difficult because I didn't play in
the World Cup. A lot of fantastic
players shone at the World Cup,
so they'll have a certain
advantage but, as long as I do what I can do, that I achieve
results and I play at a high level, I
can aim to win this award. "That's what I try to do anyway
day after day, by working again
and again." Ibrahimovic, who has been
sidelined since late September
with a heel problem, could return
to action against Lorient this
weekend.