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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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2. Antoine Griezmann

SEVILLE, SPAIN – OCTOBER 23: Antoine Griezmann of Club Atletico de Madrid in action on during the match between Sevilla FC vs Club Atletico de Madrid as part of La Liga at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuanon October 23, 2016 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
SEVILLE, SPAIN – OCTOBER 23: Antoine Griezmann of Club Atletico de Madrid in action on during the match between Sevilla FC vs Club Atletico de Madrid as part of La Liga at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuanon October 23, 2016 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images) /

Antoine Griezmann likely will not win the Ballon d’Or this year, but with regard to expectations, no player had a better 2016. In what was ultimately a season of seconds, he’s deserving of a runner-up finish for the award.

For the second straight season, Griezmann led Atletico with 22 league goals. He also grew into more of a leadership role, particularly in the Champions League as his team toppled both Barca and Bayern to get to the final.

Though his penalty miss against Real in the final will haunt him, it shouldn’t. Griezmann was Atletico’s best attacker against a top-tier defense and he made his penalty in what ended up being a 5-4 shootout loss.

But for as good as he was for his club, Griezmann claims this second spot because of the form he carries for his country. With six goals to win both the Euro 2016 Golden Ball and Golden Boot, he was head and shoulders the best player in the competition.

Since the retirements of Zidane and Thierry Henry, France has been looking for that next leader. It wasn’t Karim Benzema. It’s not yet Pogba. It is Griezmann.

With France being among the favorites for the 2018 World Cup, he’ll have the pressure of a nation on his shoulders. But as he showed this summer on home soil, he can handle it.

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