The Ballon Dor is Eurocentric. It ignores South American leagues and should not have the definitive word on this. Nonetheless, the three top players today are Messi, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, so two out of three are South American. As for “stealing”, search Google for the definition of “hostile takeover”. Just because Europeans paid for the players, it doesn’t mean that they did not abuse their economic power. In the past thirty years, European clubs have been preying on Brazilian players like hungry wolves in order to compensate for their countries' lack of talent. First it was Italy, then Spain, then England… now even Russia and Ukraine. Fortunately Brazilian clubs are getting stronger and able to retain their players longer. It’s likely that this soon will be over.
Ballon d'Or is a vote by captains and coaches. Dunno how it is Euro centric exactly in any reality twisting way. Ballon d'Or of course WAS Eurocentric, but that was over 10 years ago. That top three is your opinion, and many would disagree with Neymar. Anyway, one player means little when more general situation is considered. They used their economic power, true, but that's different than stealing. Top Euro clubs want the best players possible, so of course they look at what Brazil has. Big clubs always look elsewhere to become stronger -> big Brazilians clubs sign promising players from smaller Brazilian clubs as well, and it's not "stealing". It's not that one lacks in talent, but that there is talent elsewhere, and in order to improve, one has to make smart transfer moves.
Um, no. The voters are from everywhere around the world. For example, this is how coaches, captains and chosen media voted last year. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/classic/awards/01/56/60/53/awards_men_player_countries.pdf
Yes, very Eurocentric. The only non-European club in the list is Santos and that's because they couldn't make a top 23 list without including Neymar. It would be ridiculous. The "European Player of the Year award" as it was known until 1995, only accepted European players. That's the reason neither Maradona or Pelé ever won it. It changed and now Non-European players who play in European teams have a chance as well, but nevertheless it still is quite Eurocentric and we all know Neymar will not be among the top 3 simply because he does not play in Europe. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) Mario Balotelli (Manchester City) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) Didier Drogba (Chelsea, now Shanghai Shenhua) Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan, now Paris-SG) Andres Iniesta (Barcelona) Lionel Messi (Barcelona) Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) Neymar (Santos) Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid) Gerard Pique (Barcelona) Andrea Pirlo (Juventus) Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) Yaya Toure (Manchester City) Robin van Persie (Arsenal, now Manchester United) Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid) Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)
Neymar will never win the Ballon D'or in Brazil unless he wins a World Cup, he needs to go Europe and reach his potential, nearly the whole world thinks Neymar is overrated just because hes not in Europe... Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, they all went. Pele played in the 70s thats a very long time ago, plus he won 3 world cups so thats a different story compare to Neymar... Anyway Messi broke Pele's goal record, he is going to beat Gerd Muller too... Neymar is really going to become better than him playing in Brazil. Neymar needs to put on some weight and head for Europe and play with the best... OR stay in Brazil and dribble past defenders no one has ever heard of... He needs to be doing what Messi is doing, go play against defenders like Pepe, Ramos, Vidic, Pique, Thiago Silva... Then he will be in the ballon d'or Top 3.
True, Neymar needs to be there. Other players playing for a non-Euro clubs in top 23? I don't think so. Nothing Eurocentric about it, just how it is. To say the award is Eurocentric was of course true 15 years ago, when it indeed was for Euro players. This is basic stuff, and I already said it WAS Eurocentric. The reason Neymar is not in top three isn't simply because he plays outside Europe, although that is a factor and rightly so -> can't claim a spot on top if you don't meet the toughest opposition. The whole point however is not Europe, I'd argue. The highest level club football takes place somewhere around the world, as there is one competition in which the largest amount of the best meet each other. That's Champions League, the highest prestige club competition in the world today. So, I guess it's Eurocentric in a way that it happens to be a competition within Europe, but it really is a global competition that just takes place in Europe.
Neymar should of been in Europe this year 2012 to polish himself up and then leave in 2013 to a big club like Barcelona which is where he will most probably end up... And then he would of been ready and experienced for 2014 WC What has Neymar done this year thats so special to be a top 3 in balon d'or? Hes turning 21 in january he should be competeting for the Ballon D'or and trying to break records in Europe like Messi is doing who is among one of the greatest players ever... Like i said all he is doing is time wasting and diving around, and this is coming from a big Neymar fan. Dont all you Brazilians want Neymar to be #1 in the world and be breaking records, because thats what I want and that aint happening in Santos... Neymar is the only one that can challenge Messi and CR7. I understand you are all Brazilian so thats why you want Neymar to stay, but Europe is where he needs to go, playing in champion league which is the 2nd best competetion after the world cup.
What you guys are saying is that we should be happy to see our best players being taken by European clubs. No, we are not. We are happy that such trend is over because Europe's economy sucks, Brazilian finances are booming and our clubs are getting better management and are already retaining our some of our great players. Let's make one thing clear: It is not Europe that makes our players better, it is our players that make Europe football more interesting. Pele never played in Europe, Zico went to Europe AFTER wining the world club championship with Flamengo, Romario was great long before going to Holland and Spain. To say that Neymar must play in Europe to be good is an insult. Brazil has formed some of the best players in history and they don't improve their skills by playing in European clubs, they are already good. What Neymar have done this year? lol. Just because you guys don't follow the Brasileiro, it does not mean it is not happening:
I think if one follows club football primarily as Brazilian league, it's very understandable that good players moving to Europe is a little bumming. But I fail to see why the best players should decide to not test themselves against the best opposition. Dunno if the trend of best players moving to Europe is over. I think when Brazilian top players move to Europe, the relationship is symbiotic: they make the clubs better, and the clubs make them better. Both give, both get, if it goes ideally. But that's of course anywhere. If you sign from a Brazilian club to another Brazilian club, and things go well, you evolve as a player and you make your new club better. Players don't stop evolving once they've moved to Europe, dunno why one would think Brazilians stop evolving even though they keep training and playing. Again, with Pele (and Zico) -> it was different then. I don't think anyone thinks Neymar needs to move to Europe in order to be good. Everyone knows he's good now. But if we talk about the level where some place him - the best in the world or very close to that - then I think what he needs to do is to face the best toughest possible opposition. I mean, before you've beaten the best people don't call you the best, and rightly so. With NT, it's mostly about World Cup (but also about other NT tournaments). Will be exciting to see what he can do in the few following World Cups. As for club football, while the level of Brazilian club football is high and rising, the toughest opponents play elsewhere. Real Madrid, top EPL teams, Bayern, Barca. The core players of the top national teams play in these top European clubs. Neymar has to face them, and beat them in order to be the best. Can't do that in Brazil, simple as that.
You keep insisting that European clubs and players are better, but if that was true, they would always win the Intercontinental Cup. South Americans have won 13 times and Europe only 11.
Never said all the clubs/players are better in Europe. I mean, simply, they're not. But the best of them are the best there is. As for Intercontinental Cup and World Club Cup, please. Anything can happen in such a short tournament.
yeah neymar needs to go to premier league the best league in the world to prove himself until he plays QPR, west brom, southampton, reading, aston villa, sunderland, wigan, newcastle, norwich, fullham, stoke, swansea, everton, until he plays all those teams he is just overrated.. yo lolol funny european leagues are two to three team leagues going there wont prove anything for neymar .. he's already a top five worldwide player and soon can be top two none of those teams i mentioned above are any better than top ten teams in brasil heck even liverpool and arsenal arent that good but just because of their history people think they are better than anything in brasil same thing can be said in italy, spain, germany, france, portugal, holland... europe leagues are weak and have maybe two to three good teams in them the rest of the teams suckc []__[]
Not that I'd agree that all the Euro leagues have "2-3 good teams, others ****", but even if they did, those 2-3 teams per league makes Champions League packed with top quality teams, which Neymar could face annually.
no creativity nor improvisation.. take players with flair and talent like neymar and turn them into robots []__[]
http://www.goal.com/en/news/584/bra...-chance-of-winning-ballon?source=breakingnews Ouch...quite a damming article.
Ok I get it now. I mean, you mean like this guy? Was good, but went to Europe and lost it. Or this guy? Or this? And this? Etc.
you can do them but in europe is discouraged by the coaches if not you'll find yourself on the bench quick.. while in brasil is expected []__[]
It's not simple what is a "trick" and what is just playing football. Anyway, the tougher the opponent, the less room for stuff that is not effective/result-oriented. But as for flashy stuff, as far as it works, it's welcomed everywhere of course.
Riddle me this - if Neymar acheived for Santos what Messi has for Barcelona over the past few years would he need to move to Europe?
Neymar going to Europe means he will be playing against the top european teams in champion league... We want Neymar to dribble world class defenders, not unkown defenders in Brazil. It will also give him more experience for the world cup, europe has better tactics and defence that wont give him the space he gets in Brazil and will shut him down quick... Look at Messi he always has defenders surrounding him. All you brazilians should be wanting Neymar in Europe... Its been 6 years since a Brazilian has been #1 and won fifa player of the year. And you all know Europe is the best place for him, but since most of you are Brazilian here you want Neymar to stay in Brazil... Im not brazilian but im a Brazil fan so im just saying whats best for him and alot of people will agree. I just want Brazil to win the world cup and for Neymar to win ballon d'or, i want him to break Messi's records.
Neymar will take Europe by storm when he eventually makes the move there. I think it will happen sooner than most of us think. IMHO, it will happen next summer. Now, I'm beginning to believe that he will go to Madrid since there is a believable rumor that both CR7 and Mourinho will make the move to PSG over the summer. Contrary to popular belief, Neymar does not need to beef up if he goes to Spain. That would be a different story if he were to go to England where he would need to gain about 12 pounds. What kind of impact would Neymar make at Madrid? The thought of Neymar playing on a team like Madrid where there are a number of superstars is very intriguing. He would get more touches on the ball and possibly more space on the field. Neymar with a lot of space is the perfect executioner. I have no doubt that would quickly become the most talked about player in the world for his constant electrifying plays and wonderful goals. His unselfishness is not to be underestimated. Neymar is the real deal and will make a huge impact in Europe by helping his team win major titles. My fear is that there will be a lot of pressure on him when he makes the move and as a result, he might try to overdo things in his first few months. Hopefully, that won't happen and he will play with confidence.
All FIFA federations in the world get an equal vote. And it's not just coaches and captains, it's also one journalist from each country.
Not saying Madrid isn't a candidate for Neymar's signature, but I think you're overestimating those rumours. Mourinho might leave somewhere, but it's pretty unlikely Cristiano does. Neymar and Cristiano could of course play in the same team just fine one would guess.