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Ranking the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees

By Carter Mulvihill

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 11: FIFA Ballon dOr 2015 nominees Lionel Messi of Argentina and FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid answer media questions during the FIFA Ballon dOr 2015 press conference prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2015 at the Kongresshaus on January 11, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 11: FIFA Ballon dOr 2015 nominees Lionel Messi of Argentina and FC Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid answer media questions during the FIFA Ballon dOr 2015 press conference prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2015 at the Kongresshaus on January 11, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) /
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20. Gonzalo Higuain

MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 22: Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus FC in action during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 22, 2016 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa./Getty Images)
MILAN, ITALY – OCTOBER 22: Gonzalo Higuain of Juventus FC in action during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Juventus FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on October 22, 2016 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa./Getty Images) /

Of the major European leagues, Serie A is considered the hardest one to score goals in. Of course, that doesn’t apply to Gonzalo Higuain.

In 35 league appearances for Napoli last season, Higuain netted a league-record 36 goals. While his tally helped thrust Napoli back into the Champions League, it also put Higuain’s value into the stratosphere, and the club cashed in.

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Now wearing the No. 9 for Juventus, Higuain has picked up where he left off in Serie A. With six goals in seven league games, he’s doing the best he can to live up to this transfer fee, though the Italian giants will hope his biggest goals come in April and May in the Champions League.

Internationally, Higuain’s form didn’t carry over to Copa America Centenario. After a notable miss in last year’s final against Chile, Higuain had another unfathomable gaff in the 2016 final. But far from the only player to disappoint for Argentina at this recent string of major tournaments, Higuain only deserves a fraction of the blame for the country’s recent failings.

With his ranking of No. 20, Higuain is the highest-rated Seria A player among this year’s Ballon d’Or nominees.

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