Just reported in L'Equipe (French Sports daily) that Ronaldo is the winner of this year's Ballon D'Or. This is the award that you want to win as a player. Personally, I don't think he should have been in the running for it.
1 _Ronaldo 171 points 2 _Roberto Carlos 145 pts 3 _Oliver Kahn 114 pts 4 _ZINEDINE ZIDANE 5 _Michael Ballack
6 _ Thierry Henry This is a travesty from the Magazine I have nothing but the highest respect for. However, it was based on votes from a journalist in every European country. Can't wait to pick up this issue next week to read the vote breakdown and various reasons as to why they voted for him. In my opinion his selction undermines the award. To hell w/ what a player meant to his club. I understand that this was a World Cup year but he's won this award based on that tournament alone and that's wrong.
Here are the top 20 1. Ronaldo 2. Roberto Carlos 3. Kahn 4. Zidane 5. Ballack 6. Henry 7. Raul 8. Rivaldo 9. Bastürck 10. Del Piero 11. Hasan Sas 12. Ronaldinho 13. Owen, Van Nistelroy 15. Cafu,Schneider,Valeron, Vieira 19. Figo, Lucio. Wonder of Freidal got any votes. I can't this one in America 'til next week since we receive them a week later in Chicago.
Ronaldo 2002 : _before WC : injured _WC : very good _after WC : injured Zizou 2002 : _before WC : very good _WC : injured _after WC : good Roberto Carlos : _before WC : very good _WC : very good _after WC : very good Personally, my choise is Roberto Carlos !!
Mon Dieu!!!! Je suis d'accord avec fanatique D'OM? Serieux, I felt both Roberto Carlos and Henry should have been given the award jointly. Zizou had an average year ~~~ Great year for a mortal ~~. Ronaldo should have not been in the top ten as far as I'm concerned.
it's normal, i think a player who win the world cup win the golden ball. it's like in 2000, zidane should be the winner. it was a big injustice for him because Figo is a good player... but he don't have the magic touch of Zizou.
I'm dumbfounded and for Oliver Khan. Insight and goaltending is accomplishment, at least; candida induration compiling the list of candidacy. Media is torment of niceness for him. A keeper protects goal and the offense compliments the keeper. The french league, how is it? Briefing occasionally and via Fox Sports World (FSW).
Pretty silly, a farce actually, to give Player-of-the-Year to a player that barely plays. Ronaldo had a fantastic WC, no doubt. But I think Zidane, Henry, Kahn, and Ballack all had better, more consisten performances for the year. Seven games do not a year make. I also don't think that R. Carlos was better than the above four. In fact, I would have picked Lucio over R. Carlos. Van Nistelrooy is having a great year, too; I guess he's being "punished" for not being at the WC. He should be in the top ten. It's difficult to pick one best player for the year, but this so obviously is a beauty contest.
Funny I thought it was Player of the YEAR as opposed to Player of the Month of June. He's a great player but I'm not sure he earned this one. Agreed that Henry should be higher than 6
Remember people this is a precedent. From now on, to win the Ballon D'Or, and probably the FIFA World Player of the year, just kick back and save yourself for a good World Cup. Because obviously that's all the voting was based on this year.
Henry hurt his chances at the World Cup. Zidane the same. Roberto Carlos would have been a good choice.
i think that Ronaldo is good but he shouldnt have one he only played well in the world cup whereas the other players played well all year
Ronaldo is a different case. He did not really play much, except in the WC. The other previous winners who were aided by a good WC at least played some football during the season. Paolo Rossi came close.... I recalled he did not play much before the 1982 World Cup Finals.
Here's the entire list (pulled from L'Equipe): 1 - Ronaldo 2 - Roberto Carlos 3 - Oliver Kahn 4 - Zizou 5 - Michael Ballack 6 - Thierry Henry 7- Raul 8 - Rivaldo 9 - Basturk 10 - Del Piero 11 - Hasan Sas 12 - Ronaldinho (A.K.A Roni) 13 - Michael Owen, Ruud Van Nistelrooy 15 - Cafu, Schneider, Valeron, Vieira 19 - Figo, Lucio 21 - Bouba Diop, Diouf, Ferdinand 24 - Baraja, Inzaghi, Makaay 27- Aimar, Sonny Anderson, Beckham, Djibril Cisse, Edmilson, Giggs, Casillas
Oops, forgot the rest of the list: continued 27 - Inamoto, Klose, Kluivert, Luis Enrique, Makele Maldini, Pauleta, Rosicky, Saviola, Seol, Tomasson, Totti, Trezeguet, Van Hooijdoonk, Vieri, Wilmots and Wiltord That's the entire list
Although Ronaldo is noteworthy of award, he missed time on field. This largely eight time scoring machine of The World Cup of 2002. Was club statistically the same? Does someone have link on stats? Those must have test of easiness and differentness! Skinless I hope women of myself, at that; they're lookings down toward him.
the brat wins everything IMHO.... 1) World Soccer had Ronaldo as their player of the year because of votes from numerous idiotic voters who obviously didn't know what they're thinking. but hey....World Soccer is happy...anything to sell magazines, right??? 2) Fifa picks Ronaldo, after shamefully nominating only three candidates!!!...and they picked Kahn and Zidane?!?!?...no Roberto Carlos, Ballack, Henry, or Raul in the shortlist???) well, there...that certainly affects the outcome. Anyways, after all the financial disasters this past year, FIFA is damn happy with their choice. Figures.... the gap toothed one can lead them to the promised land...errrr...more marketing deals and $$$ rolled into their cozy Swiss bank accounts...ehem...BLATTER! 3) Ballon d' Oro picks Ronaldo, because they didn't have the cojones to challenge the brat's marketing machine!! You wondered how even the French lost their wits....Who knew that a player can stink it up all year, have one good month (being helpfully assisted by Ronaldinho and Rivaldo...two shabby players there !?!), and then go back to stinking it up and still pick up the golden ball. What a great precedent they've established! And I thought that stink in the air was them not showering.... But you know what? Things will all even out in the end... Ronaldo still won't win a league title (again), and ...this is even more just...he'll be back in his injurous ways in no time. Flame it.
Re: the brat wins everything There was no FIFA short list. All national teams coaches could pick up 3 players. The short list (Ronaldo,Zidane, Kahn) was the result of their choice. There are up to 20 players ranked (Henry is 9th I think). The ballon d'or ranking is the result of European journalists vote. One journo per country (there are something like 45 journalists voting). They give their top 5 ranking and then it gives rise to the final ranking. With the exception of 1978 (Keegan won it whereas England did not perform well at the WC) the winner has always been a top performer from a top performing team at the WC during the WC years (Cruijff, Rossi, Mathaus,Stoichov, Zidane...) Ronaldo is no exception to this. I personnaly think that Roberto Carlos should have won all awards this year. He is a fantastic player and he had a fantastic season. But he ain't no forward !!
Re: the brat wins everything Kinda true of what you said. The stupid jounalists and coaches coaches know much less about football than the true fans up here. They should know that Ronaldo is a highly marketable player, so vote him for the award, even when he don;t deserve it. And somewhat the got World Cup and European football screwed up and gave him the award for business purposes so they can earn more money. Ronaldo has a impressive world cup but he is just as ordinary as Forlan in the domestic league. He has only scored five goals in La Liga and I have to admit that even Forlan would have scored those goals. Plus he didn't scored any in the champions league.(all the games he played are bad in the CL) Somewhat we should defeine the awards properly. Based on defination, Raul should have received the European player of the year. He has great performance in La Liga and Champions league and come out as the top scorer of Champions league. He also scored a lot of goals that decides the game. The FIFA player of the year should be given to Roberto Carlos. He is not exactly a good defender, but a great assist in the attacks. He has helped whatever team he played in to win lots of trophies, like the world cup, champions league, European SuperCup, inter-continental cup and best defender of champions league. This year is a great year for him and he should deserve the award though. Giving the award to the world most popular player is a disgrace to our beautiful game.
Nah, I don't think this is a precedent at all. I think it's a blip but not the precedent. I've been reading France Football since I was 15 and they've usually been good ~~ I'm now 34 and there have been a few blips as expected but I don't think is the norm by any means. A majority of the journalists who vote for Balloon D'Or are very respectabel and good footy journalists. I'm curious to see how many First place votes he received. His winning the award is definitely not the norm.