Ronaldo played just 7 games in 2002 and won Ballon D’or. He injured his knee in the first week of December 2001, didn’t play in any warmup games for Brazil, and did not debut until January 2003 for Madrid. 7 games, won the world cup and best player with the worst haircut in the history of humanity. That is how good he was.
Modric and Cannavaro don’t deserve it. Only undeserved one on this list.
It’s crazy that Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon D’or in 2014 despite Portugal getting knocked out in the group stage
That’s how good he was that season
Ronaldo deserved it more than Zidane in 1998
Yeah so outside of the very deserving Cristiano and Messi in 14 and 10, they give it to the World Cup MVP.
it’s only in 2018 where the WC MVP/golden ball won it. In 1998 Ronaldo Fenomino won the golden ball, in 2002 Khan, in 2006 Zidane. Of course, it can be argued that Cannavaro was the true MVP of 2006, but I digress.
And Messi won the golden ball the World Cup that year too
Is the 2010 where Xavi and Iniesta were also candidates?
Si
I honestly felt Xavi or Iniesta should have got it. Their achievements with Barcelona and Spain were mesmerizing.
Forlan had a better WC than them and at club level Messi just was otherworldly.
So what’s the point exactly?
Ah yeah, fuck Stoichkov lol
it’s so crazy that modric has a ballon d’or and iniesta/xavi doesnt have one. how many players did messi/ronaldo ‘rob’ of having won the ballon d’or? (maybe prevent is the better word, not rob)
Messi and Ronaldo were by fast the best players between 2007 and 2015. Spain winning the World Cup didn’t change this fact. It’s not Ronaldos and Messis fault that the rest of their teams didn’t perform at the World Cup.
This doesn’t show additional context. Like in 2002, Oliver Khan finished 3rd, only behind R9 and Roberto Carlos. Bayern didn’t win a thing in 01/02, that was absolutely because of how well Khan did at the World Cup. Same with Messi winning over Lewa in 2021, he’d finally won an international trophy, so got rewarded for it
They already announced the 2022 ballon d’or winner and it was Messi. The one coming up excludes the world cup.
The most hyped up meaningless award.
that’s just a stupid ass statement. players like cristiano, leo, etc think it’s meaningful. it’s literally the highest individual award for a footballer.
even cristiano in his recent piers morgan interview says he deserved 8 ballons d’or.
It’s meaningless in the sense that its voting system isnt serious and making it a popularity contest. It has no real merit.
It’s meaningful to players because it has a lot of exposure and is good for their brand.
The Frenchman Luka Modric
En German CR7, the Spanish Messi
I still don’t know how Modric won the 2018 Ballon D’or. He was not the best player in the world that year lol.
French vote was split between Mbappé, Griezmann and someone else. On top of that, voter fatigue and World Cup
Ronaldo would’ve won it if he didn’t ask to leave Madrid lol
Perez too strong
And Messi in 2010. Iniesta Xavi or Sneijder deserved that
Lifetime Achievement Award
It was the greatest media campaign. People were so pissed xavi and iniesta never got one and there was this campaign for anyone not Messi or Ronaldo, it was like a gift to prove it wasn’t only for attackers
Bullshit lmao 🤣.
At worst Modric was top 5 in World Cup.
Same with CL. Best midfielder in CL.
As many have joked before, “the Ballon D’or is won by Florentino, not by the players”.
He wasn’t even best player in his team.
That’s bullshit now.
He was one of the best though. People underestimate his performance in the WC imo, especially in these comments
Modric deserved it for his career and for carrying Croatia to a world cup final. Only Cristiano getting a Balon d’Or in that STACKED Real Madrid squad that won five UCLs would have been a travesty. I sincerely don’t get why Reddit is so annoyed by Modric getting a Balon d’Or, seems to be a “stats” thing.
Ronaldo 100% wins it if he doesn’t ask to leave madrid. He was insane that year.
Clearest example of the strength of Madrid PR we have. That was 100% Cristiano’s Balon to win, yet the moment he left Madrid suddenly next best got propped up and ended up getting it against all odds.
against all odds
He won the CL and carried Croatia to a world cup final
Modric won it by a big margin. He would’ve won it regardless.
753 points for Modric
478 points for Ronaldo
Except he was awful in the first half of the season. Paulinho outscored him up until Christmas lol.
It wasnt based on season, but on calendae year.
that just puts that absurd comeback in the second half he had in perspective.
Well it’s a good thing the first half doesn’t count towards the 2018 B’Dor lol.
Neither was Messi this year and he’ll probably win it as well
Was indisputably the best player in world Cup and he did actually won the world Cup not the runner up medal
Iniesta was robbed