In 2012, Radamel Falcao was a major contender to win the Ballon d'Or. The Colombian fell short of the feat but will have another chance in 2013. Can he pull it off?
The AS Monaco star was seen as a serious contender last year because of his terrific start to the year with his former club Atletico Madrid. He kept scoring pace with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi throughout the end of 2013 and had Atletico Madrid in second place in the Spanish League. He kept pace with Ronaldo all year long and Madrid wound up in third place and qualified for the Champions League.
After accomplishing that feat, Falcao bolted for AS Monaco and struck it rich with a huge deal. Through 11 matches this season, Falcao has continued to look solid for his club with eight goals. However, his more important contribution may have been with his national team. Falcao scored four goals in 2013 for Colombia and helped his country capture its first World Cup berth since 1998. He finished the qualifying tournament with nine goals, but had his most productive year in 2013 for Colombia.
Is this enough to net Falcao a top-three spot in the Ballon d'Or?
Right now, Falcao looks to remain in contention due to his solid start for Monaco. He is the top scorer in the league but has been heavily overshadowed by Paris Saint-Germain's duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. Neither has more goals than Falcao, but their squad is leading the league. It is possible that neither star leads his team to the World Cup next summer once the qualifiers end in a couple of weeks and that could harm their position in the race; this would help Falcao. The Copa del Rey that he helped Atletico Madrid win last spring might also be a huge determiner; it has been his only trophy win in 2013. On the broader stage, Falcao faces challenges from Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and the Bayern players and their three championships.
Predictions: His feats are enormous this season, but will likely be overshadowed by other greater accomplishments by other players. Expect Falcao to finish in the Top 10 or just outside of it.
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