The former Tottenham midfielder has played a pivotal part in his nation's route to the World Cup semi-finals and is in contention for the Golden Ball
This could be the year that the Ballon d'Or duopoly finally ends. For the past decade, the prestigious prize has been won either by Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This time, however, there might be a new winner.
With both Messi and Ronaldo knocked out of the World Cup in the last 16 and neither able to reproduce their very best on the game's greatest stage, the opportunity is there for a different player to claim the Golden Ball in December.