Zlatan Ibrahimovic has effectively written off his own chances of winning the Ballon d'Or despite last season being "the best of his career."
Ibrahimovic, 33, ended the 2013-14 campaign with a Ligue 1 winner's medal, a Coupe de la Ligue triumph, and the honour of finishing as the French top flight's leading scorer for a second successive season.
His brilliant foul-goal haul against Anderlecht in the Champions League was the highlight of his contribution to PSG's run to the quarterfinals of the competition, and no doubt had a major influence on him being named among the 23-man list of contenders for the Ballon d'Or.
However, the Sweden captain -- whose national side was pipped to a place in Brazil in a dramatic playoff with Portugal -- told PSG TV that missing out on the World Cup could cost him in the final reckoning.
"I think I have just played the best season of my career," Ibrahimovic said. "That's one of my objectives: to be better each year and always improve.
"I've been nominated, but it will be difficult because I didn't play the World Cup. A lot of fantastic players shone at the World Cup, so they'll have a certain advantage, but as long as I do what I can do, that I achieve results and I play at a high level, I can aim to win this award. That's what I try to do anyway day after day, by working again and again."
Last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo, whose own display outshone that of Ibrahimovic in the World Cup playoff, is favourite to pick up the award again in Zurich on Jan. 12.
A three-man shortlist will be published on Dec. 1.