Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have dominated the Ballon d'Or for over a decade, but their reign is coming to an end and a new champion will soon step forward.
It takes a well-rounded player to be crowned as the greatest on the planet. One who is intelligent, supremely talented, and never truly satisfied with his work. One man clearly fits the bill.
Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling - whose development in recent seasons has been nothing short of incredible - is the next in line to dominate football's greatest individual prize.
Go back three years to Pep Guardiola's arrival at the Etihad Stadium and people would have laughed at the notion of Sterling being in Ballon d'Or contention.