Ballon-d-Or - Suprised?

[Macman]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...ns-Ballon-d-Or

Messi win's again !

The FIFPro World XI was:

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Xavi (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd).

Still, in my opinion I believe Ronaldo is the better player but then again Messi has more to show for his results yet the figures are in Ronaldos favour. But in football, it's whats in the trophy cabinet that counts

[format]

I'd have had Van Persie over Rooney for his form over the last 12 months.

Messi deserved to win it but a little sad not to see Xavi get it all the same.

[jim]

I'd have had Van Persie over Rooney for his form over the last 12 months.

Messi deserved to win it but a little sad not to see Xavi get it all the same.

Agreed.

Personally speaking, the La Liga love-in is a bit tiring. I appreciate that Barca are playing great football, but selecting the entire XI from Barcelona, Madrid and United is not representative of world football in any regard.

[Dingo]

Agreed.

Personally speaking, the La Liga love-in is a bit tiring. I appreciate that Barca are playing great football, but selecting the entire XI from Barcelona, Madrid and United is not representative of world football in any regard.

Agreed, but unfortunately the eyes of the World are always on the CL, so much so that some players will switch teams just to get a chance to play in it, as highlighted by the Arsenal escapees last season.

Just a real shame that individual performances from some players' in not so fashionable teams go largely unnoticed when in reality their performances in keeping their teams up or winning internal country trophies are often done with so much more heart than money!!

[Macman]

Just something I've been reading... some people will say it's biased as it's a Real Madrid blog, but tbh he does make valid points...

i.e. "Messi did not deserve his 1st award of Ballon Dor. Sneijder by a huge margin deserved that one. He did a treble with Inter, which did not have fantastic players like Barcelona have and Sneijder had to work pretty hard to make that team work. It was due to Sneijder that Holland got the the finals of the World Cup. I do not know what else a guy can do to win that award. Messi won it purely on the basis of goals scored. Ronaldo has the better goal scoring ratio but still Messi won."

[MadduckUK]

"Messi won it purely on the basis of goals scored. Ronaldo has the better goal scoring ratio but still Messi won."

[jim]

Just something I've been reading... some people will say it's biased as it's a Real Madrid blog, but tbh he does make valid points...

i.e. "Messi did not deserve his 1st award of Ballon Dor. Sneijder by a huge margin deserved that one. He did a treble with Inter, which did not have fantastic players like Barcelona have and Sneijder had to work pretty hard to make that team work. It was due to Sneijder that Holland got the the finals of the World Cup. I do not know what else a guy can do to win that award. Messi won it purely on the basis of goals scored. Ronaldo has the better goal scoring ratio but still Messi won."

Maybe because Messi was more of a stand-out achiever at Barca than Sneijder was at Inter? He probably had more individual success even if team success was not as good. I'll admit I didn't watch any of Inter's football that season, but didn't their striker get a lot of recognition that season? I forget his name, but Mourinho brought him out of nowhere and he had a blistering season, whilst Eto'o played on the flanks.

It is strange though how they act as if international football is the peak of all footballing achievement, and yet Messi, who has done pretty much nothing for his national side, still wins all the awards. Personally, I don't think international football should have an effect (i.e. why should Best be considered worse than another star purely because he isn't from a top footballing nation), but it's just a little bit odd. And Messi, you would think, should have propelled Argentina to more success than he has done if he's such an amazing player.

EDIT: Just remembered, it was Diego Milito.

[Macman]

Only quoted what the author of the Blogs view is.

Heres another thing: Spain Tax Hike

Is going to be intresting how the Clubs are going to maintain the stupid salaries lol...

[this_is_gav]

Personally I'd have given it to Xavi, but there you go.

[sweey]

Messi is head and shoulders above the other players. Agreed that the whole La Liga lovefest gets boring as does constantly raving about Barcelona as someone else said. They play wonderful football but it doesn't need to be drooled over every five seconds.

I do feel for Xavi though.

[this_is_gav]

I think the top two La Liga teams are head and shoulders above everyone else at the moment though. The Premier League was just two or three years ago but I don't remember our teams having had a look in the last few times we've played Barcelona or Real.

Last season I couldn't help but feel that the only reason it wasn't a Real-Barcelona final was because Barca knocked Real out in the semis.

[Macman]

Well let's see if Real Madrid can produce it when they two meet up in the Copa Del Rey. [Barca still to play the 2nd leg, but surely they'll win with a 4-0 agg lead]

Hala Madrid

[Blitzen]

I'd have had Van Persie over Rooney for his form over the last 12 months.

Messi deserved to win it but a little sad not to see Xavi get it all the same.

I agree....and not because im an Arsenal fan.
Van Persie has consistently out performed Rooney for a year now.

This competition is bordring on incestuous, and isn't a true reflection of the European football.

I thought Platini was going to mess his pants as he gave out the award.

[Macman]

Below are the nominations are for 2011; in all honesty I think some players in this list should've got it instead of Messi.

Eric Abidal (France)
Sergio Aguero (Argentina)
Karim Benzema (France)
Iker Casillas (Spain)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Dani Alves (Brazil)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Andres Iniesta (Spain)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Nani (Portugal)
Neymar (Brazil)
Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Gerard Pique (Spain)
Wayne Rooney (England)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
David Villa (Spain)
Xabi Alonso (Spain)
Xavi (Spain)
Other?