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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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7. Gareth Bale

MADRID, SPAIN – OCTOBER 18: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Real Madrid CF and Legia Warszawa at Bernabeu on October 18, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Visionhaus/Corbis via Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – OCTOBER 18: Gareth Bale of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Group F match between Real Madrid CF and Legia Warszawa at Bernabeu on October 18, 2016 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Visionhaus/Corbis via Getty Images) /

After coming to Real Madrid in the most expensive transfer deal ever at the time, it hasn’t always been easy for Gareth Bale to live up to the billing. But in 2016, he did. Bale had his best season yet at the Bernabeu and is a strong candidate for this year’s Ballon d’Or.

Despite playing under a new manager in Zinedine Zidane and playing alongside several other high-priced attacking players, Bale’s La Liga form never wavered. With 19 league goals, Bale finally emerged as the winger opposite Ronaldo that Real needed to mount a serious title challenge against Barcelona.

Again a staple of Real’s Champions League-winning XI, Bale didn’t have the same type of signature moment that he had in 2014 when he volleyed in the extra time winner, but he was nonetheless an integral piece of what ended up being the top team in Europe.

But his club campaign his only half the story.

Thanks to an expanded Euros field, more players than usual entered the tournament with the pressure of a nation on their shoulders. While the likes of David Alaba and Ibrahimovic failed to get into the Round of 16, Bale led Wales to the semifinals.

With three goals in Euros, Bale gave Welsh supporters memories of a lifetime. With three more already in the new La Liga campaign, he’s picked up right where he left off.

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