The Top 15 football jerseys of the modern era

TEAM: Portuguese national team

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

The smart-looking Portugal away kit from 2013 featured an attractive, minimalist design by Nike. PHOTO: Footballkitnews.

TEAM: Bayern Munich, Germany

SEASON: 2014/15

TYPE: Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Adidas

The 2014 Adidas-made away kit for the German champions, Bayern Munich. PHOTO: The Mirror.

TEAM: Borussia Dortmund, Germany

SEASON: 2012/13

TYPE: Home kit – UEFA Champions League edition

MANUFACTURER: Puma

German giants, Borrusia Dortmund are sponsored by Puma. This is the Champions League edition of their 2012-13 home kit. Strong contrast between the black and yellow, unusual collar. PHOTO: Puma

TEAM: Palermo, Italy

SEASON: 2012/13

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Puma

Palermo’s classy pink fit with an elegant blank collar and sleeve trim. Note the fade-in of checkered squares in the mid-section. PHOTO: Footballkitnews.com

TEAM: AS Roma, Italy

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Home kit, Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

AS Roma’s home and away kits for the 2013/14 season were met with an overwhelming positive reception. The simplicity of the Italian team’s home kit (left) and the away kit (right) made them one of Nike’s best ever designs. PHOTO: World Soccer Talk.

TEAM: FC Barcelona, Spain

SEASON: 2012/13

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

Barcelona’s Nike-made home kit for 2012/13 made use of a smooth gradient to transition in the red and blue colours of Barca. PHOTO: Football Fashion.

TEAM: Manchester City FC, England

SEASON: 2012/13

TYPE: Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Umbro

Manchester City’s away jersey for the 2012/13 season. Designed by Umbro (owned by Nike). PHOTO: Pro-Direct.

TEAM: Arsenal FC, England

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

Nike’s retro-coloured away jersey for Arsenal in the 2013/14 season was a special one. Note the use of complimentary colours (the shorts were blue and the socks had rings of yellow and blue). PHOTO: World Soccer.

TEAM: Real Madrid, Spain

SEASON: 2011/12

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Adidas

Real Madrid’s famous white strip has been the envy of many clubs around the world. In their league-winning 2011/12 season, Adidas released the home kit – featuring a classy gold trim to the shoulders, sides and sleeves. One of their best kits. PHOTO: Footy-Boots.

TEAM: Paris St Germain, France

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

Paris St Germain’s Nike-made home kit from 2013/14 pays homage to the French tricolour. A classy design that stands out, worn by players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and david Beckham. PHOTO: UK Soccer Shop.

TEAM: Liverpool FC, England

SEASON: 2012/13

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Warrior

Liverpool’s 2012/13 vintage home kit. Made by Warrior, the retro collars are a reference to their famous history. PHOTO: Liverpool FC.

TEAM: AC Milan, Italy

SEASON: 2011/12

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Adidas

The 2011/12 home kit of AC Milan was a beautiful kit, with the elegant use of white trim at the sleeve’s end, the neck and shoulders complimenting the primary red and black stripes. PHOTO: Adidas

TEAM: Netherlands national team

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Away kit

MANUFACTURER: Nike

The electric blue kit of the Netherlands was a hit at the recent world cup. Note the clever use of orange (Dutch primary colours) on the badge, logo and numbering on the reverse. PHOTO: Soccerbox.com

TEAM: Columbia national team

SEASON: 2013/14

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Adidas

Columbia’s home jersey for the 2014 Brazilian World Cup. PHOTO: Columbiasoccershop.com

TEAM: Manchester United FC, England

SEASON: 1998/99

TYPE: Home kit

MANUFACTURER: Umbro

Manchester United’s famous home kit from the 1998/99 season when they won the treble. Note the vintage design (collars, sleeve trim, etc). PHOTO: Manchester United FC.

El Clasico review

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates converting his equalising penalty vs Barcelona. (Photo : Getty Images/Elisa Estrada/Real Madrid)

On Saturday night in Spain, Real Madrid put down a HUGE marker in the race for the La Liga title by sweeping aside Barcelona in a 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. The incredible thing was that scoreline flattered Barcelona, as the scoreline could have realistically been 5-1 or 6-1 to the royal whites.

Debutant Luis Suarez tussles with Sergio Ramos for possession. Photograph: Juan Carlos Hidalgo/EPA

Luis Suarez returned to football from his bite-related ban to make his debut for the Catalan giants, and the decision to start him looked a great one when his cross-field switch found Neymar in space 4 minutes into the game. The Brazilian squared up his marker before charging across the outside edge of the penalty box. He received far too much time and space and fired powerfully passed Casillas with his right foot. 1-0 to Barcelona after only 4 minutes.

Neymar opens the scoring with a decisive finish, 1-0 (Credit: Goalopedia@twitter).

But Madrid looked lethal on the counter attack. They were missing the pace and trickery of the world’s most expensive player, Gareth Bale, who sat out with a muscle strain. But his absence has allowed the supremely talented Isco to shine in a wide midfield role. The young Spaniard was instrumental in his sides’ transition from defence to attack (and vice versa).

Isco challenges Messi for the ball, while Luka Modric looks on. Photo: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno

Madrid defended compactly in two narrow banks of 4 to shut down the centre for Barcelona, which forced them to play wide. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos surprised many with their defensive positioning, which afforded their centrebacks the protection they needed. There is no doubt over their offensive and general midfield quality, but the lack of a defensive midfielder let many to believe the pair would not be up to the task defensively. Their immense technical ability and calmness in possession allowed them to pass the ball quickly to the front whenever they won possession. They were instrumental in setting up many of Madrid’s counters.

James Rodriguez and Isco played the 2 wide midfield roles, and were as involved defensively as they were offensively (which is surprising as they are both, by trade, attacking, creative midfielders). Isco covered an enormous amount of ground, as did James.

Every time Real won the ball, Isco and James would be sprinting forward at full speed to give support in the wide channels to Benzema and Ronaldo (who were both given the free role up front as an outlet to start the counter attack).

Madrid’s two fullbacks, Carvajal and Marcelo both had incredible games. The later displayed his immense stamina in his lung-busting runs up and down the left side the entire game. They were both involved offensively just as much as they were involved defensively; a common theme in this Madrid team. They play as a complete team.

Marcelo makes a forward run in El Clasico. PHOTO: elEconomista.es

Madrid turned on the pressure after conceding and despite an incredible Casillas save preventing Messi from making it 2-0, began to look the ones more likely to add to the scoreline. Barcelona survived several penalty claims before finally Madrid were awarded a spot kick due to a Pique handball.

Pique handball is penalised.

Ronaldo dispatched the resulting penalty and it was game on. Madrid ended the half strongly and both teams went into the half time break at 1-1. But when the teams emerged from the tunnel for the second half, it was Real Madrid who really stepped up their game. Barcelona would hold onto possession, but as soon as they lost it, Madrid would racing forwards at incredible speeds against the Catalans suspect defence. It was incredible to watch.

In the 50th minute, Pique blocked a shot from Ronaldo and Pepe scored with a brilliant header from the resulting corner. The goal really broke Barcelona and it was Madrid who looked more likely to score in the resulting minutes. It forced Barcelona to commit to a more offensive game plan, leaving even more space in behind for the Madrid counter attacks to exploit.

In the 60th minute, the inevitable happened with Isco’s hard work in pressing Iniesta resulting in a goal for Karim Benzema after lovely play between Ronaldo and James. 3-1 to Madrid.

Barcelona looked toothless in attack and never looked comfortable in possession. Real Madrid had several opportunities to score more goals in the remaining 30 minutes but were guilty of overplaying and passing too much. Many times Ronaldo found himself in a great position to unleash a shot at goal but incorrectly chose to pass instead.

The game finished 3-1, but as specified above, it could have been a landslide victory for Barcelona, who seem to be caught in between 2 play styles. The Catalans remain 1 point in front of Madrid and Sevilla in the La Liga ladder, but a marker has definitely been set by Carlo Ancelotti’s brilliant counter-attacking team.

15 Top Football Stadiums of Europe

15. ANFIELD

PHOTO: Daily Mail

HOME TEAM: Liverpool FC

LOCATION: Liverpool, England

CAPACITY: 45,522

COMMENT: One of the most iconic football stadiums in England, the energy and passion shown by the Liverpool faithful despite not having won the English league for decades (particularly at the Kop End) creates a fortress on match day.

14. CELTIC PARK

PHOTO: Jason Hawkes

HOME TEAM: Celtic FC

LOCATION: Glasgow, Scotland

CAPACITY: 60,832

COMMENT: If you’ve ever seen an Old Firm Derby (Celtic vs Glasgow Rangers), you’ll know just how incredible the atmosphere at Celtic Park is. There’s nothing like 60,000 Scots jumping up, signing along to “I just can’t get enough” at the top of their voices. Enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck.

13. MESTALLA STADIUM

PHOTO: Spain Soccer Tours

HOME TEAM: Valencia CF

LOCATION: Valencia, Spain

CAPACITY: 50,000

COMMENT: Valencia’s iconic floodlit stadium is one of the best in Spain. It’s pitch is perfect and the incredibly steep stands and passionate, orange-dressed fans help to create one of the most intimidating atmospheres in all of Europe to play in. Playing at the Mestalla Stadium is definitely an away game few teams enjoy.

12. STAMFORD BRIDGE

PHOTO: Chelsea Brasil

HOME TEAM: Chelsea FC

LOCATION: London, England

CAPACITY: 41,837

COMMENT: Situated in west London, Stamford Bridge is the home of the Chelsea pensioners. It does, however, holds a relatively modest capacity (only 8th largest in the EPL) for a club of Chelsea’s size and financial power.

11. JUVENTUS STADIUM

PHOTO: My Football Wallpaper.com

HOME TEAM: Juventus FC

LOCATION: Turin, Italy

CAPACITY: 41,000

COMMENT: Opened at the beginning of the 2011/12 Serie A season, Juventus’ new all-seater stadium was built to ensure the fans were as close to the pitch as possible (only 7.5 m from the first row to the pitch side).

10. SAN SIRO

PHOTO: Franceso Faravelli

HOME TEAM: AC Milan/Internazionale Milan

LOCATION: Milan, Italy

CAPACITY: 80,018

COMMENT: Italy’s most iconic stadium is shared by both Inter and AC Milan. Due to the general lack of money in the Italian game, the stadium is need of some urgent repairs and refurbishment. This includes cracked walls, closed stands and unusable facilities. But it doesn’t stop the San Siro from being one of the incredible stadiums in European football.

9. VELTINS ARENA

PHOTO: Schalke 04

HOME TEAM: Schalke 04

LOCATION: Schalke, Germany

CAPACITY: 61,973

COMMENT: Opened in 2001, the Veltins Arena is the home stadium of Schalke 04; one of the main powers in German football. In 2004, it hosted the UEFA Champions League final and during the 2006 Germany World Cup, 5 games were played at the stadium. The steep stands, particularly behind both goals create a truly incredible atmosphere for football. The Veltins Arena also features a retractable roof and pitch.

8. THE VINCENTE CALDERON STADIUM

PHOTO: Stadium Guide

HOME TEAM: Atletico Madrid CF

LOCATION: Madrid, Spain

CAPACITY: 54,960

COMMENT: Opened back in 1966, Atletico’s stadium is named after their most-famous club presidents: Vincente Calderon. It  has a similar design to Barcelona’s famous Nou Camp, and features coloured seats that match Atletico’s home jersey. The stadium has been classified as a 5 star UEFA elite venue rating, and often plays host to Spanish international matches.

7. SIGNAL IDUNA PARK

PHOTO: Bundesliga.com

HOME TEAM: Borussia Dortmund

LOCATION: Dortmund, Germany

CAPACITY: 80,700

COMMENT: Originally named the Westfalenstadion, financial troublers forced Borussia Dortmund to sell the naming rights of their stadium away to a German insurance firm named Signal Iduna Group. And so the Westfalenstadion became Signal Iduna Park until 2021. The 4 massive sides of the stadium help create an incredible atmosphere of black and yellow. The famous “Yellow Wall” behind one of the goals is definitely a site to intimidate any opposition player or fan.

6. WEMBLEY STADIUM

PHOTO: Wigan Warriors

HOME TEAM: England National Team

LOCATION: London, England

CAPACITY: 90,000

COMMENT: The largest stadium in England is also the home of the English national team. Despite having fantastic facilities and an enormous capacity, the much-criticised pitch is the only factor preventing the “new” Wembley from having a higher standing in the list. It was opened in 2007, replacing “Old Wembley” stadium. The 5 star UEFA elite stadium hosted the 2011 and 2013 UEFA Champions League finals.

5. SANTIAGO BERNABEU

PHOTO: Football Wallpapers.com

HOME TEAM: Real Madrid CF

LOCATION: Madrid, Spain

CAPACITY: 85,464

COMMENT: The home of Real Madrid (Royal Madrid) is the famous Santiago Bernabeu stadium, also named after one of Los Blancos’ famous presidents. The stadium has an enormous capacity of approximately 85,000 and was host for the 2010 Champions League final.

4. THE EMIRATES STADIUM

PHOTO: Arsenal FC

HOME TEAM: Arsenal FC

LOCATION: London, England

CAPACITY: 60,361

COMMENT: The home of Arsenal Football Club is The Emirates stadium. Arsenal left their previous home ground (Highbury Stadium) and moved to the Emirates in 2006. Despite being a beautiful stadium with a moderately-large capacity, it was expensive and had adverse affects on Arsenal’s financial strength in the transfer windows in the years following the move. Despite the common criticism of the crowd being quiet or quick to turn on their own players, the beauty of the stadium’s design is enough to propel it to 4th place on our list.

3. OLD TRAFFORD

PHOTO: Manchester United FC

HOME TEAM: Manchester United FC

LOCATION: Manchester, England

CAPACITY: 75,731

COMMENT: One of the few on this list not to be named after a sponsor or previous club president, Old Trafford is the largest club stadium in England and is home to the most-successful team in British football history: Manchester United. 76,000 people pack into the stadium on match-day and the facilities are top notch. Also a 5-star UEFA Elite stadium, it hosted the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. Plans to extend the stadium’s left side (in the picture) to the size of the others has been halted due to the train line behind it.

2. ALLIANZ STADIUM

PHOTO: Allianz

HOME TEAM: Bayern Munich, 1860 Munich

LOCATION: Munich, Germany

CAPACITY: 75,024

COMMENT: Built for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, the Allianz Stadium is one of the most modern stadiums in Europe. It features a fully-changeable exterior; the first of its kind. The naming writes of the stadium were purchased by Allianz for 30 years, and both Munich-based teams (Bayern and 1860) share the ground as a home stadium,

1. NOU CAMP

PHOTO: Local Nomad

HOME TEAM: FC Barcelona

LOCATION: Barcelona, Spain

CAPACITY: 98,787

COMMENT: The best stadium in Europe is the Nou Camp. The home of FC Barcelona, the Nou Camp is built deep into the ground like a pit with the pitch at the bottom. The steep stands and enormous capacity of almost 100,000 people create an enormous wall of noise that would intimidate any away team playing there. Due to Barcelona’s reliance on quick passing, the pitch is one of the best in Europe too.

10 best youngsters

In the modern of football, there is always the pressure amongst clubs to find the next big talent around the world and secure his services for your team while he’s still young and relatively cheap. Thousands of talent scouts are employed by the European clubs to travel all around the world to find the undiscovered hidden gems. Additionally, clubs look at their local and extended communities for talent to incorporate into their academies while the players are still children or young teens. And if that young player has a standout performance in the first team, the media will immediately begin hyping him up; giving out tags such as “the new Ronaldo” or the next “Lionel Messi.” Obviously very few manage to live to that extensive pressure and hype generated by the media and the fans. Plus with the way transfer fees are being inflated by the oil-rich clubs, the price to secure the services of these young talents is going to become higher and higher.

But around the world, there are a number of players who do, in fact, look “the real deal.” Consistently outstanding performances at young ages have earned them enormous contracts already. Due to this and because other big teams will constantly be trying to steal each others promising youth prospects, an 18 year old talent emerging from the youth system of a big club might find himself earning £2.6m per year (£50,000/week) before tax. But it takes an immense amount of hard work, dedication and lack of ego to fulfil their potential. This article looks at the ten young players (under 23) around the world that look certain to do just that.

10. RAHEEM STERLING

PHOTO: Daily Star

CLUB TEAM: Liverpool, England

NATIONALITY: English

AGE: 19

HEIGHT: 1.70 m

WEIGHT: 69 kg

EST. VALUE: £35,000,000

POSITION: Left Wing, Right Wing, Attacking Midfielder

STRENGTHS: Speed, dribbling, balance, acceleration, close control

WEAKNESSES: Stamina, height, strength, decision-making

9. ADNAN JANUZAJ

PHOTO: ESPN

CLUB TEAM: Manchester United, England

NATIONALITY: Belgian

AGE: 19

HEIGHT: 1.82 m

WEIGHT: 75 kg

EST. VALUE: £30,000,000

POSITION: Left Wing, Right Wing, Attacking Midfielder, Striker

STRENGTHS: Dribbling, balance, passing, acceleration, close control, vision, confidence

WEAKNESSES: Selfish, decision-making, defensive discipline, strength, finishing

8. MARCO VERATTI

PHOTO: Christian Liewig

CLUB TEAM: Paris St Germain, France

NATIONALITY: Italian

AGE: 21

HEIGHT: 1.65 m

WEIGHT: 60 kg

EST. VALUE: £50,000,000

POSITION: Centre-midfield, Deep-lying Playmaker, Attacking-Midfield

STRENGTHS: Vision, passing, close control, dribbling, confidence

WEAKNESSES: Strength, height, stamina, decision-making, speed, temperament, tackling

7. MARQUINHOS

PHOTO: Goal.com

CLUB TEAM: Paris St Germain, France

NATIONALITY: Brazilian

AGE: 20

HEIGHT: 1.83 m

WEIGHT: 79 kg

EST. VALUE: £45,000,000

POSITION: Centre-back

STRENGTHS: Reading of the game, tackling, passing, close control, strength, speed

WEAKNESSES: Decision-making, over eager, rash

6. DAVID ALABA

PHOTO: Team Talk

CLUB TEAM: Bayern Munich, Germany

NATIONALITY: Swiss

AGE: 22

HEIGHT: 1.80 m

WEIGHT: 75 kg

EST. VALUE: £35,000,000

POSITION: Left-back, Left Wing, Centre-Midfield, Defensive-Midfield

STRENGTHS: Tackling, passing, reading of the game, speed, acceleration, crossing, close control

WEAKNESSES: Balance, dribbling

5. THIBAT COURTOIS

PHOTO: The Telegraph

CLUB TEAM: Chelsea, England

NATIONALITY: Belgium

AGE: 22

HEIGHT: 1.99 m

WEIGHT: 91 kg

EST. VALUE: £35,000,000

POSITION: Goalkeeper

STRENGTHS: Shot-stopping, catching, organisation, kicking, height, strength

WEAKNESSES: Distribution

4. RAPHAEL VARANE

PHOTO: Dennis Doyle

CLUB TEAM: Real Madrid, Spain

NATIONALITY: French

AGE: 21

HEIGHT: 1.91 m

WEIGHT: 76 kg

EST. VALUE: £50,000,000

POSITION: Centre-back, Defensive-Midfield

STRENGTHS: Reading of the game, close control, tackling, man marking, heading, passing, speed, acceleration, temperament, leadership, strength

WEAKNESSES: Defensive discipline

3. MARIO GOTZE

PHOTO: Yahoo Sports AU

CLUB TEAM: Bayern Munich, Germany

NATIONALITY: Germany

AGE: 22

HEIGHT: 1.76 m

WEIGHT: 64kg

EST. VALUE: £70,000,000

POSITION: Attacking-Midfield, Striker, False-9, Left Wing, Right Wing, Centre-Midfield

STRENGTHS: Passing, finishing, vision, close control, acceleration, balance, dribbling

WEAKNESSES: Defensive discipline, height, strength, can go missing

2. PAUL POGBA

PHOTO: IMG Kid

CLUB TEAM: Juventus, Italy

NATIONALITY: French

AGE: 21

HEIGHT: 1.88 m

WEIGHT: 80 kg

EST. VALUE: £80,000,000

POSITION: Centre-Midfield, Defensive Midfield, Attacking-Midfield, Deep-lying Playmaker

STRENGTHS: Passing, vision, close control, strength, height, shooting, dribbling

WEAKNESSES: Temperament, rash

1. NEYMAR 

PHOTO: Claudio Villa

CLUB TEAM: Barcelona, Spain

NATIONALITY: Brazilian

AGE: 22

HEIGHT: 1.75 m

WEIGHT: 64 kg

EST. VALUE: £120,000,000

POSITION: Left-Wing, Right-Wing, Striker, Attacking-Midfield, False-9

STRENGTHS: Dribbling, balance, close control, crossing, vision, finishing, passing,acceleration, speed

WEAKNESSES: Strength, defensive discipline, can go missing

ACL injuries in Football

Arguably the most feared injury a professional athlete can sustain is the dreaded ACL injury. Before the miracles of modern science, a complete ACL tear was a career ending injury. To put this into perspective, Dr Joseph DeAngelis (an orthopedic surgeon specialising in knee and shoulder injuries in sports) claims that it’s less serious to break a leg than tear a ligament or tendon. And an ACL tear is the king of ligament injuries.

The components of the knee joint. PHOTO: Robert Behnke.

The knee’s motion is controlled and protected by 4 ligaments that connect the bottom of the femur (thigh bone) to the top of the tibia (shin bone). The quick twisting, turning and lunging movements that occur in football means that the load placed upon the knees (and these ligaments in particular) is both constant and immense.

Roma’s Kevin Strootman suffered an ACL tear that ruled him out of the 2014 World Cup. PHOTO: Bleacher Report.

There are two ligaments that run on each side of the knee joint: the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) on the inside and the Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) on the outside. They prevent the knee from shifting to either side. The other two ligaments (which cross over each other in an X shape for additional support) are in the middle of the knee joint and join the underside of the femur to the topside of the tibia. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) stabilises the knee; preventing the top of the shin bone from shifting forwards or backwards away from the bottom of the thigh bone. Additionally the ACL and PCL work together to prevent the knee from rotating or twisting.

The above video shows Colombian striker Radamel Falcao suffering a complete ACL tear in January 2014, as a result of a forceful tackle. Falcao’s recovery took 6 months.

ACL injuries are becoming far more common in football and all it takes is one aggressive tackle to hit the right part of your knee to tear the ligament. Unfortunately, the ACL will not heal by itself. It does not grow back. Attempting to even place weight on the knee will likely result in pain, swelling and the leg buckling. Professional sports would be completely out of the question.

Serbian defender, Nemanja Vidic suffers an ACL tear in 2011. PHOTO: Bioathletic.

But now there is surgery to repair the knee joint.

A surgeon can harvest a piece of hamstring and manually insert it into the knee joint; creating a brand new ACL. With the right physical therapy, a footballer can be back on the pitch in 6-12 months.

Ronaldo: At the peak of his powers

With an injury cloud hanging over his left knee and thigh, Cristiano Ronaldo cut a dejected figure training with the Portugese national team in Brazil a few months ago. Ronaldo ended the season by helping his club team, Real Madrid, win La Decima (their 10th Champions League title). However, the forward was plagued by injuries in those last few weeks.

Ronaldo was approaching 30 years of age, and many suggesting it might be the beginning of the end for the incredibly prolific winger/striker. His entire game is based on the foundation of his sensational athletic ability, so any significant long term injury would surely have a devastating impact upon his future in the game. It was plain to see in the world cup, he was not fit.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s knee tendonitis ends his training session with Portugal before the 2014 World Cup. PHOTO: AFP / AP

But Ronaldo has started the new 2014/15 season in incredible form; pushing aside any indication that he is passed his best. Instead of even continuing his jaw-dropping form from last season, the Portugese has someone upped his game again.

Ballon D’or form: The Portugese forward celebrates scoring a hattrick vs Athletic Bilbao. PHOTO: The Independent .

This past weekend, the Real Madrid forward continued his inspired form with a devastating display vs Athletic Bilbao. But it wasn’t just the hat trick of goals and the assist. Ronaldo’s all-round play was exceptional. His decision-making and presence on the ball was instrumental in the 5-0 scoreline.

The Ballon D’or, awarded to the best player in the world,  looming on the horizon, Ronaldo’s incredible form is perfectly timed to place him as a front runner for the coveted award. With 13 goals in 6 La Liga games already this season, world cup finalist Lionel Messi definitely has some significant competition.

Currently, he has a goals-per-game ratio of 2.16 this season – a result of his status as the most complete forward in the world game. Ronaldo has everything – speed, acceleration, dribbling, passing, and he can poach, score from long range, free kicks, headers and is simply devastating on the counter attack.

There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo is at the very peak of his powers.