In my opinion Messi should have 3 or 2 Balon D'ors and CR7 should have 2 atm. 2008: Ronaldo had an amazing year and helped Man Utd win the Champion League (eliminating Barca in the process) and Premier League. Definitely deserved the Ballon D'or in 2008. 2009: Messi helped Barxa win a treble and managed to finish their top scorer in the 2008 09 season. Again definitely deserved this one. 2010: This is the first one that I believe should have have gone to another player. Messi's 2010 was great. He helped Barca win the La Liga and managed to score 47 goals in the 2009 10 season. However La Liga was the only major trophy Barca won that season. He failed to lead them past inter and he was terrible in the World Cup being invisible and getting thrashed by Germany in the quarters. Winning the Balon D'or should not just be a goalscoring award if you can't lead your team with those goals. So if Messi should not have won who should have. I have 5 better options. Sniejder- Most obvious choice. Was amazing for Inter, led the to a treble and led Netherlands to the World Cup final. Milito- Another Argentine, scored plenty of goals just like Messi however his goals were worth MUCH more than Messi's. Goals in the 16, Quarter, Semis, and a double in the final. Would have given it to him but he didn't feature much in the world cup. Xavi or Iniesta- Both were immense for Barca and Spain. Led their nation to a World Cup aswell. Though Iniesta scored the world cup winner if I had to chose between the two I would give it to Xavi as I believe he was better overall. Forlan- Was the world cup's best player for URUGUAY and led Atletico Madrid to the Europa League. Would have been the biggest upset bin balon D'or history. 2011: Messi had a great year leading Barca to the UCL and La Liga. Deserved the award. 2012: You see this one I'm not too sure of. Messi had an amazing year scoring 91 goals which is just crazy however he won nothing of important for Barca. My other choices would be. Pirlo: Just amazing for Juventus, completely Rejuvenated the team and led Juve to its first Serie in years and a undefeated season. Oh yeah he also gave the greatest performance I have ever seen in a major international competition iv ever seen. CR7: Also scored a crazy 63 goals however his goals were worth way more than Messi's. He led Madrid to their first La Liga of the La Masia Era scoring the winner in the second game vs Barca and scoring 46 overall in the league. He also led a very average Portugal to the Semis however him trying to get headlines by wanting to scoee the last penalty cost Portugal. 2013: CR7 scored plenty of goals but won Madrid nothing and only managed to win by leading Portugal to the world cup. My choice would have been Ribery: Best player in the treble winning Bayern side and had a sexy assist vs Dortmund in the final. 2014: I actually believe Ronaldo deserved it. He scored plenty of goals and they meant something. He led Madrid to LA Decima and though he wasn't to impressive in the world cup he was injured and got a last minute assist vs the US for a very average Portugal side.
if i were consistent with rating international performances, it would be like this: 2008-ronaldo 2009-messi 2010-sneijder 2011-messi 2012-ronaldo 2013-ribery 2014-mascherano 2015-messi
If based on actual relative performances these are the correct winners. Cronaldo stole 2013 Ballon d'Or from Messi. Messi carried Barcelona to La Liga Maradona Napoli style, and Cronaldo didn't win any individual or team titles, after voting extension squesed 3% win. 2008 Cronaldo 2009 Messi 2010 Messi 2011 Messi 2012 Messi 2013 Messi 2014 Cronaldo 2015 Messi Example of modern vs old: Gerd Müller 1974 WC champion/ EC champion/ top scorer = Ballon d'Or 7th Johan Cruyff 1974 WC runner up/ Golden Ball = Ballon d'Or 1st to Cronaldo 2014 CL champion/ top scorer = Ballon d'Or 1st Messi 2014 WC runner up/ Golden Ball = Ballon d'Or 2nd Messi is unlucky to play in the modern era, just like Müller was unlucky to play in 70's. If Messi played in 70's he would be winning now 7th Ballon d'Or, and Cronaldo would be left with one.
2010 slightly debatable however I would still give to Messi, this is an indivual award not a prize for who won the most. Messi had many performances that year that no other player could get anywhere near, Argentina did reach the WC, he had some good WC games (Nigeria espectiallY) and was not as bad as people say but just there was such high expectations, also Argentina getting smashed by GErmany is far from his fault and that should lie with the manager and Maradona's inept tactics. 2013 very debatble, Ribery and Messi have a strong case. 2014, Ronaldo is fair enough for what he did for RM despite very poor WC..... 2015 has to be Messi, I am hoping the two months he is injured do not screw up the votes as it seems often the voters only remeber a few months prior to the voting and forget the rest of the year.
Strangely I would actually go along with BadaBing for those years. Messi should have won in 2013. Also Cristiano could easily have won in 2007 ahead of Kaka, so potentially could still be on three Ballon d'Ors.
He wasn't just "not bad", he was very good. The OP's suggestion he was "terrible" is just bizarre. Before the QFs he was as good as any player in the tournament I thought. The level of hyperbole some people (not you) attach to that tournament is bizarre.
2010 and 2012 shows the opposite. Also: you have changed your views about 2008 and 2014 I see? So therefore you replace it, as usual, with your own (denigrating) hyperboles which is in this instance based on nothing but your Tottenham/Germany/Milan/etc. induced opinion rather than a case of quantifiable facts. That makes it such a waste.
There wasn't even World Cup in 2012. Messi could've also easily won the 2007 Ballon d'Or if he scored the goal after the vote, and France Football conducted a re-vote to encourage voters to change their vote. He was ahead of Cronaldo in 2007 collective Ballon d'Or and FWPOTY results with the current voting method.
I tend to agree also, however 2007 definitely Kaka, Ronaldo did go missing in the big games, two semi finals versus Milan and FA Cup final loss to Chelsea, this was around the time in the English press that he receieved a lot of criticism for not performing in big games. I agree re 2013, very hard to call, Ronaldo benefited massively from th vote extension adn subsequent hat trick he scored, had Portugal won 1-0 I feel the swing would not been as big so Ribery and Messi had a better case.
High debatable, he was a long way off Kaka: Pos Player Country Club Total 1P 2P 3P 4P 5P Votes =============================================================================================================== 1. Ricardo Izecson Santos "Kaká" Brazil Milan AC 444 78 10 3 1 3 95 2. Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Manchester United 277 8 33 25 14 2 82 3. Lionel Messi Argentina FC Barcelona 255 6 33 22 9 9 79
Really? That those two don't play for any of the teams mentioned, nor the rivals, doesn't change that opinions are induced by it. This is also a nice sidestep to the main issue re: hyperboles.
So two players who don't play for any of the sides that I support, or their rivals, lead me to be biased? I'm struggling to keep up with this logic. My hyperbole meanwhile for stating that up until before the QF he was one of the best players in the tournament, or that he was "very good" is remarkable to you.
The dude above is talking about "quantifiable facts," when in fact he is by far the greatest conspiracy theorist in this forum. Classic!! Yeah but in Puck's mind it makes total sense -- which means that you should totally understand and therefore agree with his logic, because why shouldn't you? Apparently, "that opinions are induced by it" statements are inherently riddled with hyperbole, for some strange reason that Puck doesn't properly understands himself (as his ineptitude to properly explain himself, proves beyond any doubt).
Excuse me? Words as "just bizarre" are not a hyperbole? As a welcome to a 'new' contributor, followed by the common 'opinion dressed as fact' trick. You are obviously searching for kudos I see? Good luck with that. Divide, rule, manipulate. Just saw you was starting your new round of insults at the other thread of Tom Stevens.
I should have written terrible by his standards. We are both exaggerating here was not terrible and he was not great he was very average. He did not lead the team and dissappeared when it was time to face the big boys.
firstly, for underlined part: while Maradona did not lead Napoli to anywhere, they were what they were without Maradona as well, Messi in 2013 was nowhere near that seasons of Maradona. and if you are going to refer to historical examples, then Messi would not and should not have won in 2010, 2012l 2013 and arguably 2015 as well. Cannawaro 2006, Beckenbauer 72 are some of examples which refute Messi's 10/ 12, 13 and 15.
Messi has now had to "carrying" seasons (11-12, 12-13) that Maradona had once (89-90). And considering it's harder to be more important, better the team is and team mates are, Messi had actually more impressive performance 12-13 than Maradona in Napoli. Some of the feats include scoring 21 Liga games straight, against every opponent of Liga, feat that no-one comes even close in history. Messi also won 11-12 La Liga best player trophy even though Cronaldo won the league, so he was much better in there also. Obviously.
No, he wasn't very average. He was very good. By his standards he was just average but those are not the standards of any normal player. Against Nigeria and South Korea he was outstanding, the best player on the pitch. He was also good against Mexico. Against Greece he was not great and against Germany he did very little after Argentina handed the advantage to their opponents in the opening minutes. By any normal players standards he was one of the best players of the tournament.
@Bada Bing why dont you include Messi 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons in your table (or at the very least the latter)? Messi was third for Ballon d'Or in 2007 and second in 2008...
Yes, he was dangerous in the first two games but then tailed off progressively. Even against Mexico it was bar the miles offside assist (nice gift) not a dangerous or chaos creating performance.