Top 5 players of the year

Trying to name the best player in world football is often a harrowing task, but not this year. 

One man stands well above the rest, with everyone else fighting for recognition elsewhere on the list. Where do they slot in? Let's find out.

Here are the five best players of 2014:

5. Philipp Lahm - Bayern Munich and Germany

Philipp Lahm is the most well-rounded footballer currently consuming oxygen. 

The German star, who captained his national side to the World Cup title this summer after leading Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga crown, did it all in 2014.

A right-back by trade, Lahm spent much of the year playing in a defensive midfield role for Joachim Loew. Not a problem. He excelled, and when he moved back to his natural position later in the tournament, he dominated.

Pep Guardiola, seeing his Bayern team ravaged by injuries to start the 2014-15 campaign, pushed Lahm into an attacking role to begin the season. He scored twice before suffering a serious ankle injury in training. 

Take it away, Pep:

"Philipp Lahm is the most intelligent player I have managed in my career. I'm delighted to be here, just because I get to manage him."

That is all.

4. Neymar - Barcelona and Brazil

How different things could have been were it not for Juan Zuniga literally breaking his back. Neymar, carrying the weight of an entire nation, was - along with James Rodriguez - the star of the 2014 World Cup. The pressure on his narrow shoulders was immense, and he delivered right up until his body gave way. 

Arguably the most technically skilled player around, he's quickly developing into an elite goalscorer. Just ask Paris Saint-Germain.

With 14 goals in 18 matches for Barcelona this season - good enough for a remarkable 1.22 goals per 90 minutes - Neymar is showing he can assume the mantle as the world's very best when those two other guys decide to hang up their cleats.

3. Arjen Robben - Bayern Munich and the Netherlands

Does he still dive? Yes. Is he ever going to stop? Probably not. But that shouldn't take away from the fact that Arjen Robben is one of the most talented players on the planet, and one of a handful that can win a match on his own.

There are few things as exhilarating as watching the Dutchman flying down the right wing, daring defenders to step up and make a tackle before skipping past them, cutting onto his left foot and leaving the goalkeeper - any goalkeeper - helpless. The entire world knows what's about to happen, and nobody on the pitch can do a damn thing about it.

This should look familiar:

In terms of seminal moments, his performance in Holland's 5-1 thrashing of Spain at this summer's World Cup was one of the most dominant of the year.

2. Lionel Messi - Barcelona and Argentina

He's had a disappointing year, they said. Maybe he's starting to slow down, they whispered. Yeah, about that ...

• Matches Played: 66
• Goals: 58
• Assists: 21

Death to all those silly narratives. Lionel Messi is still very much a ridiculous, all-conquering attacker.

Of those matches listed above, 52 came with his club side, for whom he found the net 50 times. Bad year, they said.

While Messi was unable to guide Argentina over the final hurdle at the 2014 World Cup - something he was harshly criticized for despite dragging the team to that point almost entirely on his own - the diminutive attacker did enjoy some incredible moments.

Messi became the all-time leading scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League in 2014. For any other player, this would be viewed as the greatest season of their career, and one of the greatest ever. For Messi, it's a down year. That's the standard he's held to, which highlights his superiority over everyone playing the sport.

Everyone, except one man ...

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid and Portugal

No surprises here. Soon to capture his second consecutive Ballon d'Or award, Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list.

Have a quick glance at his numbers in 2014, and try to keep your eyeballs from popping out:

• Matches Played: 60
• Goals: 61
• Assists: 22

The Portuguese phenom scored 56 of those goals in just 51 matches for Real Madrid, and in the process set a single-season record with 17 tallies in the Champions League to lead Los Blancos to Europe's most revered title. 

Satisfied? Well, just in case, Ronaldo also capped off his remarkable year by becoming the fastest player in La Liga history to reach the 200-goal plateau, setting the league mark for most hat tricks ever recorded.

He's a freak of nature. A machine. A player for which existing superlatives do not suffice. In 2014, he was simply the best player on earth.