Lionel Messi, and Gianluigi Buffon or Sergio Ramos tipped to take the silver and bronze awards.
ADVERTISEMENTRonaldo is the hot favourite to be lifting the Golden Ball trophy in Paris tonight, the most prestigious individual award in world football. It would be his fifth trophy, a record, and his credentials, winning the Champions League and Supercup for his club Real Madrid, and being the driving force behind Portugal's world cup qualification, are undeniable.
His arch-rival Lionel Messi is likely to be the runner up barring a huge surprise, as his club, Barcelona have underperformed of late, even if Messi has shone, and he remains the key to Argentina's trophy ambitions.
The bronze medal spot is the least predictable, with polls suggesting Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon and Sergio Ramos are the best-placed.