Quite why those who compile the
Ballon d'Or shortlist even bother to
add 21 names to a list starting with
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
isn't entirely clear. Talk that Manuel
Neuer might be in with an outside
chance of snatching the award this
year is rather refreshing, if also a little
misguided.
There is an obvious chasm in quality
between the two best players in the
world and the best of the rest - Messi
and Ronaldo are relentless goal
machines in their own right. The race
for third place is incredibly hotly
contested, however. Neuer, Thomas
Müller, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Ángel Di
María, Sergio Agüero, Philipp Lahm,
Arjen Robben and Gareth Bale all
spring to mind.
That list omits a player whose
manager has stated the need and
potential for him to step up and join
the game's elite. His fans maintain he
is amongst the best in the world. So
where exactly does Eden Hazard
currently rank? Is he anywhere near -
or close to approaching - the level of
Ronaldo or Messi?
While Ronaldo's current goalscoring
exploits are unrivalled (he has scored
18 goals in ten La Liga appearances
this season), Messi has seven goals,
but also adds seven assists too
(compared to Ronaldo's five). Both
players return the top two
WhoScored.com ratings in Europe's
top five leagues, both this season and
over the course of the whole of 2014.
By WhoScored rating, Hazard comes
out as the seventh best player this
year, accurately reflecting his current
standing.
Averaging 7.87, Hazard has
successfully dribbled past an
opponent 122 times this calendar
year; second only to Messi in Europe's
top five leagues. His turning circle and
change of pace whilst in possession
are exceptional, drawing fouls from
those incapable of otherwise halting
him.
However, there is a stark difference in
his return in front of goal compared
to Messi and Ronaldo. Last season
Hazard scored 14 goals and assisted
seven, while this term he has just
three goals and one assist to his
name in 11 Premier League
appearances. He is playing in the
best-performing and highest-scoring
team in England.
Hazard is without question still
behind the top two, but also some
others, as well. Luis Suarez, for all his
misgivings, is unplayable on his day,
and while he dribbles almost as much
as Hazard (he was second to the
Belgian for dribbles per game in the
Premier League last season), his ability
in front of goal sets him apart. His
rating in league games over the
course of 2014 (8.12) is the third best
in Europe, and gives further credence
to the argument that Suarez is next in
line, even if FIFA overlooked him for
the Ballon d'Or for his World Cup
naughtiness.
Also ahead of Hazard in the rankings
is Marco Reus, who would have only
added to the relative ease with which
Germany won the World Cup this
summer had he been fit. He has
overcome that disappointment with a
fantastic year for Borussia Dortmund.
Reus has directly contributed to 20
Bundesliga goals this year, averaging
4.3 shots and three key passes per
game this season. His return would
surely soar in a team that weren't
performing as poorly as Dortmund.
There are few finer counter-attacking
players around than Reus.
Sergio Agüero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic
are two of the other closest
challengers for the crown of the
world's 'third best', but the
Argentine's injury problems continue
to hold him back. He has stayed fit so
far this season, second only to
Ronaldo in Europe's goalscoring
charts (12) as a result.
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, remains one
of the most brilliantly unpredictable
players around, and with five goals in
as many Ligue 1 starts he is also still
one of the most prolific goalscorers. It
is criminal that he has never even
featured in the Ballon d'Or or World
Player of the Year top three.
Eden Hazard's quest for greatness
continues, but there is still some way
to go before he can truly claim to be
amongst the very best on the planet.
Right now, it is Luis Suarez that can
claim to be the closest to Messi and
Ronaldo, the runaway top two.
Ali Tweedale
All statistics courtesy of
WhoScored.com , where you can
find yet more stats, including live in-
game data and unique player and
team ratings.
www.football365.com

Luis Saurez dont just score goals he creates them, he is in a different class to Hazard. In 2009/10 season Saurez scored 35 goals in 33 games and assisted 10 more goals while Hazard managed just 36 goals in 187 games for Lille.
Neymar is on the way to take his rightful place in the top four,just behind Suarez.