I am surprised to see Vardy 8th & Mahrez 7th given how the award often seems to favour fast starters to the season and "punish" slow starters..... Mahrez I personally think has a very good shout for top ten so fair play.
BALLON D'OR FRANCE FOOTBALL 2016 FINAL RANKING 1. CRISTIANO RONALDO (Portugal, Real Madrid) 2. LIONEL MESSI (Argentina, FC Barcelona) 3. ANTOINE GRIEZMANN (France, Atlético de Madrid) 4. LUIS SUAREZ (Uruguay, FC Barcelona) 5. Neymar (Brazil, FC Barcelona) 6. Gareth Bale (Wales, Real Madrid) 7. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria, Leicester City) 8. Jamie Vardy (England, Leicester City) 9. Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus) 9. Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid) 11. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon, Borussia Dortmund) 12. Rui Patricio (Portugal, Sporting CP) 13. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, PSG then Manchester Utd) 14. Paul Pogba (France, Juventus then Manchester Utd) 14. Arturo Vidal (Chile, Bayern Munich) 16. Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich) 17. Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), 17. Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid) 17. Dimitri Payet (France, West Ham Utd). Details about the points earned by each player tomorow normally if not revealed before.
Can't really argue with the players in the top five, although people may argue the order. Other thoughts: Pepe higher than Godin is simply wrong. Vardy above Lewandowski likewise. Payet would be a lot higher if he had put in the same performances at a "big" club. Rui Patricio indicates that we're going back to the days where a few games in the summer outranks the rest of the year - Oblak was the best keeper I've seen in 2016 by some distance.
Glad not to see Neuer in the list, he seems to make top tens whether he had a good season or not and 2016 was far from his best.
100% agree re Lewandowski, and Patrcio comment re Payet however had West Ham started the season okay he could still be around top ten, unfortunately for him West Ham's season has been a disaster so far and he is miles off last year despite the odd spectacular goal.
Agree about Lewandowski. About Payet, there is still that Euro Final, where for some reasons, and not only the quality of Portugal imo (which was real though, I said before the tournament started that they would be the surprise), France struggled including Payet who was great in the group stage matches but not in the knockout phase especially since the semis. Maybe that he was "out of breath" but I also strongly doubt that he could "make it" in a big club at the same time. At #5 I'd hesitate a bit between Bale and Neymar... preferring Bale in the end I suppose as he was able to carry his teams. Mahrez just behind them two seems just. Also I'm wondering if Pogba and Ibra finish here without their transfer to Manchester United. Maybe that it would have been the same or maybe that they would have finished into or behind the Modric-Kroos group? There are good chances that Oblak will be forever underrated especially in this kind of rankings. If he continues like that of course, if he's still at this level of performance.
And now...France Foot completely turns into a mag. With a new cover...new format, more big 5...a section about economics it seems... http://www.offremedia.com/la-nouvel...er-le-rayonnement-international-du-ballon-dor It's all falling apart!
France Foot will award two new trophies this year, in December 2018. "Le Trophée Kopa" will be awarded to the best U21 player of the year. He will be designated by a jury composed of all the former Ballon d'Or (who are still alive ofc... complete list here : https://www.francefootball.fr/news/...a-le-meilleur-jeune-de-moins-de-21-ans/943137). Yes, it includes the Ballon d'Or recipients who are still active. Them two. Also, a Ballon d'Or will be awarded to the best female player of the year.