Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly going to end up on the top three list this season. In fact, he is one of the favorites to take the trophy in many people's books after a tremendous season that included winning the Spanish League Championship and also leading Portugal to the semi-finals in the 2012 Euro Cup.
His 2011-12 season with Real Madrid featured 46 goals, including a one in a 2-1 win against Barcelona late in the season that essentially clinched the title for Madrid. In the UCL he added 10 goals, including two against Bayern Munich in the semi-final even though he wound up missing his kick in the shootout.
In the Euro 2012, he scored two big goals to eliminate the Netherlands and help Portugal obtain the second seed in the Group of Death. He followed that with a goal against Czech Republic before being shut down by Spain.
He has started the 2012-13 season on a tear with five UCL goals and 12 Spanish League goals. For the year Ronaldo has scored a total of 64 goals.
Biggest Moment of the Year: Winning the Spanish League title and helping destroy Barcelona's three year hold on the trophy.
Chances of Being in the Top Three Finalists: Let us put it this way: It would be a shock if he was not in the top three finalists. Most would argue that regardless of who enters the conversation as the third player, the competition is only between Messi and Ronaldo.