FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013 Predictions: Why Eden Hazard Deserves Nomination Over Juan Mata; Can He Finish Top Three?

Eden Hazard is one of the great surprises on the Ballon d'Or 2013 list. The selection was shocking for a number of reasons and the main question derived from his selection is - Does he even deserve to be on the list?

There is no doubt that Hazard has been terrific for both club and country in 2013. The 22-year-old Chelsea star was a major component of the team's run to the Europa League trophy last season and scored one goal and two assists in the process. He scored nine goals and 11 assists in helping Chelsea to third place in the 2012-13 season. The big issue with this is that Hazard was arguably not Chelsea's top player in the calendar year. That would likely go to Spanish star Juan Mata who scored more goals for Chelsea in 2013 and created more scoring chances. Even this season when he was left on the bench, Mata fought back to earn a spot in the starting XI for a few matches. Mata has been an impact player for Chelsea in a way that Hazard has not been able to top.

Hazard does have the advantage on Mata when it comes to international play. The Spaniard has struggled to earn a top spot with the Spanish national side despite opportunities in qualifying and the Confederations Cup. Meanwhile, Hazard scored twice in 2013 to help Belgium qualify for the World Cup next summer.

Does he have a chance at winning? Unfortunately, the Belgium star is likely to sit in 22^nd, 23^rd, or 24^th on the list when the final rankings are released. His major achievement was getting to the World Cup with Belgium and winning the Europa League. Aside from that, he has not distinguished himself as a top superstar yet.