The three finalists for the FIFA Ballon d'Or were announced on Monday: Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer and Cristiano Ronaldo. Here's a look at the stats that made them great in 2014 and the possible accomplishments that lie before them...
* After one goal in eight previous World Cup games, Lionel Messi scored four times at the 2014 World Cup and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He's had 52 goals in 62 games for club and country this year, also adding the La Liga and Champions League career scoring records to his résumé in the past month alone.
* Cristiano Ronaldo won last year's Ballon d'Or, scoring 69 goals in 59 games for Real Madrid and Portugal in 2013. With 55 goals in 55 games this year he hasn't been quite as prolific, though his 45 goals in league and European play are still six more than any other player has managed this year in Europe's top five leagues. He also wrapped up the Champions League single-season scoring record, with 17 goals in the 2013-14 season.
* After finishing 23rd in the Ballon d'Or voting last year, Manuel Neuer will be the first keeper to finish in the top three for Ballon d'Or voting since Gianluigi Buffon was runner-up to Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
Looking solely at the FIFA Player of the Year history, Neuer will have the highest result by a keeper since Oliver Kahn was runner-up to Brazil's Ronaldo in 2002. The only keeper to win the Ballon d'Or: the Soviet Union's Lev Yashin in 1963.
* Neuer has been widely praised for redefining his position with his willingness and ability to play the ball outside his penalty area. His 21 touches in the Round of 16 against Algeria were five more than any other keeper had in a game at any of the last three World Cups.
In league play in 2014, Neuer allowed 8.5 goals fewer than would be expected based on total shots faced. That's the second-best number in Europe's top five leagues, behind only Keylor Navas at 10.1.
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