Bernardo Silva should be the dark horse for the Ballon D’Or
Following a domestic treble with Manchester City and a Nations League victory with Portugal, Bernardo Silva has emerged as one of 2019’s biggest stars.
Manchester City and Portugal attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva has been one of the world’s most underrated players over the course of the last two campaigns, but with a silverware-rich season for both club and country, Silva has stepped into the spotlight.
With star teammate Kevin de Bruyne suffering from an injury-riddled season, Silva moved full-time into the number eight role under Pep Guardiola and absolutely excelled, winning Manchester City’s Player of the Season award. The former Monaco star, now 24, has truly begun to blossom into his prime under the Catalan’s tutelage.
At his best, Silva is an incredible creative force, setting up chances with mazy dribbles, silky touches, and pinpoint passes with a goal-scoring touch. While his efforts at club level were fantastic as City claimed a 98-point Premier League title win as well as both domestic cups, Silva has continued his scintillating form on the international stage.
Two assists against Switzerland and the Netherlands helped Portugal capture the inaugural UEFA Nations League title on home soil, and Silva was named Player of the Tournament for his efforts playing in a free-roaming role in the attacking third.
The headlining contenders for this year’s Ballon D’or are Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Liverpool center-back Virgil van Dijk. Messi was undoubtedly the best player in the world this season, with the five-time Ballon D’Or winner scoring 51 goals and recording 22 assists in just 50 matches this season. On the other hand, Van Dijk was never dribbled past as Liverpool finished second in the Premier League on 97 points and lifted their sixth Champions League title.
While Messi should be a shoo-in for the award based on his individual performances, the trophy has been given out largely based on team success at both club and international level. Therefore, while Silva only has 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions for club and country this season, he is the most decorated of all the contenders with five trophies to his name, and his impact goes far beyond those basic statistical measurements.
Therefore, given his individual and team success, Silva should have firmly placed his name in the conversation for world football’s greatest individual prize. Moreover, should the voters recognize his critical role in Manchester City’s historic season in which they achieved a feat never accomplished in over 100 years of English football while also recording the second-best points total ever (only behind their effort the season prior), Silva has grown into one of the world’s best players.
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While he may not win the award in 2019, City’s Portuguese magician has established himself as a true superstar of European football, and looks set to be at the heart of incredible sides for years to come. In addition, once the Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly at the top of the world’s game finally comes to a conclusion in the coming years, Silva could find himself in the mix with the likes of Kylian Mbappé to inherit the throne at the pinnacle of European football.