At age 34, Didier Drogba is the oldest player on the ballot to win the Ballon d'Or. He was nominated back in 2010 and finished in 9th place in the voting, but missed out on the top 23 list last season.
His resurgence this year has to do with his play and contributions to Chelsea's Champions League victory. He scored the game tying goal in the 88th minute against Bayern Munich in the final and then scored the deciding penalty.
Aside from that moment, he became the first African player to reach 100 goals in the Premier League on March 10, 2012 against Stoke City. He then transferred to Shanghai Shenhua and has scored eight goals in 11 matches. The striker has obviously slowed down, but his heroic display this past season has put him back on the map.
Best Moment of the Year: The Champions League final is easily the highlight of his year. Scoring a game tying goal and adding the decisive penalty are major achievements that few other players have achieved.
Chances of a Top Three Placement: Unless FIFA decides that an African player needs to be on the top three ballot, there is probably no chance Drogba gets a chance. However, one must not forget that the ballots are cast by captains and coaches and Drogba's heroics in the UCL have not gone unnoticed by anyone. His love of the sport and commitment to it at age 34 are factors are not easily ignored.
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