Ballon d’Or nominations: Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Lionel Messi, Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Angel di Maria, Yaya Toure, Mario Gotze, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Javier Mascherano, Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Neymar, Paul Pogba, Sergio Ramos, Arjen Robben, James Rodriguez, Bastian Schweinsteiger Coach of the Year nomination: Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klinsmann, Joachim Low, Manuel Pellegrini, Alejandro Sabella, Diego Simeone
2014 (27.10) in official games Messi 43 (6pen) goals, 25 assists = directly part of 68 goals Cronaldo 49 (10pen) goals, 12 assists = directly part of 61 goals Benzema 28 (1pen) goals, 19 assists = directly part of 47 goals Bale 21 (0pen) goals, 19 assists = directly part of 40 goals Zlatan 27 (4pen) goals, 11 assists = directly part of 38 goals Müller 24 (6pen) goals, 14 assists = directly part of 38 goals Di Maria 10 (0pen) goals, 26 assists = directly part of 36 goals Neymar 28 (0pen) goals, 7 assists = directly part of 35 goals Götze 21 (0pen) goals, 12 assists = directly part of 33 goals Suarez 16 (0pen) goals, 16 assists = directly part of 32 goals (not shortlisted) Robben 17 (2pen) goals, 14 assists = directly part of 31 goals Costa 24 (2pen) goals, 3 assists = directly part of 27 goals Hazard 12 (6pen) goals, 10 assists = directly part of 22 goals Iniesta 3 (0pen) goals, 11 assists = directly part of 14 goals Defenders Mascherano Lahm Goalies Neuer Courtois I'm gonna add rest of the players later.
Impossible for me (and to many others) to have an objective opinion between Messi and Cristiano, as bias surely affect which criteria one emphasizes. Both have their solid arguments for the best player of the year. Outside of them, Germany's World Cup means a lot - but like noted by many before, their strong and somewhat even collective is good for winning team titles, but bad for winning individual awards. Nice "problem" for them, imo. I'd be very surprised to see someone other than Messi or Cristiano win it, and I'd guess that the fact that Messi got zero team titles in a World Cup year when Cristiano's team won CL decides it for Cristiano.
Ronaldo will win this. The perception is that Messi has dropped in form from his peak while Ronaldo is keeping his level at his peak. Even if their numbers for the CY are quite similar when you look at G+A. The interesting part is that if Messi finishes his chance in the WC Final and Argentina hold on to that 1 x 0 lead, he'd definitely take this award. Since he missed it, voters will remember that in the knockout stage, he only had 1 assist. A goal in the Final would have excused that fact. At the same time, since RM won the CL, voters will probably forget or overlook that Ronaldo was not the decisive force in the SF or the Final.
Benzema 3rd? Over, Robben, Ronaldo, Muller ??????? Not sure how Iniesta made it in either, not his strongest year by a long way. Suarez not being in top 23 is a joke, punished for bad behaviour, was as good as anyone in club football last year.
Because he always does. The assumption always is that he plays well, regardless of his actual contribution. He just needs to be on the field to be considered among the best players.
True.And no Suarez who scored 31 goals for Liverpool in last season,helped Liverpool very much. I think now CR7 has more chance than anyone but we must wait
I agree. Suarez should be there definitely, maybe even in top 3, he was the best player in top 5 leagues last season, yes, he didn't play in champions league so that's a minus but in world cup against England he scored two goals coming of an injury, and now in el clasico he had an assist and i think that he will play well for Barca. He also won Golden Boot last season.
I would vote like this: 1. C. Ronaldo 2. Messi 3. Suarez, but if it has to be someone from the list it would probably be Muller.
To say it is a perception that Messi's level has dropped is either blind loyalty/favoritism as imo to any football fan who has followed Messi this is clear. Even without looking at the stats Messi's performance in big games over the last season did nothing to change the "perception" as you call it, that his level of play has dropped. Most of the time the message was that he came back from injury, which later turned into he's saving himself for the WC, and lately is turning into but he assists. The what ifs can hardly be used to try to clarify what imo and opinion of many football fans has been lukewarm season for Messi as that can be used for probably any candidate for the sake of just arguing. The fact of the matter is Messi hardly set any game alight in many important games this season, and imo that's how I will define his season. This is unless if one considers BiH, Iran etc as big games. Lastly to claim CR was not decisive in the semis just doesn't make sense, unless if he was supposed to score all four goals at Allianz. It is also known that he played through injury in the CL final and WC, even though I still feel even if fit Portugal chances disappeared from the moment Pepe got send off in that 1st game. Anyway as I said in one thread imo there is no contest this year. I will probably stop following football for water polo if CR doesn't win this award in January. There is just too many positives in his season to lose this, not in 1000 years.
As I said in the other thread Benzema has been better than Cronaldo this year. Statistically just as impressive (without penos), won the same titles, was better in both Clasico's, better in CL-final, played in Copa final, and didn't flop in World Cup. His stats are also better than Muller's or Robben's, so I don't think they were better.
it is too bad that navas is sitting on the bench atm. but he was the best gk of last season and the wc. since this a wc year i'd say messi, robben and mascherano are top 3.
I agree that Messi's level has dropped from his peak where he basically looked super human with his dribbles. Like I said about Ronaldo, he wasn't decisive in the score sheet in the SF nor the Final and that's a fact. I don't quite remember how was his overall performance in the SF was, but in the Final it was bad. But as you and I pointed out, he was injured. I gave him his props for the earlier rounds where he was great. I didn't even mention WC because as you said, he was still injured but not only that it was a tough group and Pepe screwed Portugal from the start. You're being defensive about something I didn't even criticize. To say you will stop following football if CR doesn't win an individual award just outs you as a fanboy even if you're just kidding. Seriously, that's what's wrong with all of this including CR's attitude towards this award (being a crybaby and all). FFS team titles are so much more important than this award.
Which season? He got a hat trick away in the Bernabeu in one of the most dramatic Clasicos of all time last season. He also got a hat trick against Valencia in a 3-2 win. He scored home and away against Manchester City. If we are just looking at 2014 then he took his side to the final of the World Cup with precious little attacking help. I could see it going either way really, Ronaldo was better last season but Messi was better in the WC.
Difficult to see Ronaldo not winning it although I could see Neuer running him close. What always get's me is how seriously are we supposed to take how many major honours they've won? Obviously it's a good decider if there are two players who've performed equally spectacularly but other than that surely individual performances is what really matters?
And Cronaldo scored 1 in World Cup. Here's Cronaldo's goals in Copa and CL. Copa 3-0 goal against Osasuna 4-0, 5-0 goals against Atletico Didn't play in final UCL 3-0, 6-0, 7-1, 8-2 goals against Shalke 3-0 goal against Dortmund 4-0, 5-0 goals against Bayern 4-1 dived penalty against Atletico All statpad goals, I don't see anything wrong saying Benzema deserves Top3 more than Cronaldo.