People just need to accept the simple fact that the best player of the year will never be objectively measured. It will always be subjective, it's not mathematics.
Ballon d’Or 2024 — post-Messi era
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Messi is far from being an Angel as many people claimed.
Wonderful to see Rodri acknowledged. Brilliant selection for a Ballon d'Or.
Had Germany beaten Spain in the EC, quite sure Kroos would have won it
Had Germany beaten Spain in the EC, quite sure Kroos would have won it
Spain's captain at the Euros was Alvaro Morata.
It's as simple as that tbh.
Vini was the UCL POTY , and the 2nd best in LA Liga. Rodri wasn't even in the Best XI of the EPL and wasn't in the UCL best XI. In neither of them. He isn't even the best, or 2nd best player of Man City (De Bruyne and Haaland). Does he deserve it, really?
I know the Ballon D'Or isn't a ranking of the best players but honestly, this list feels so far off reality. Their criteria are such a weird mixture of stats, reputation, individual quality, team achievements and sportsmanship that you can pretty much justify every order but contradict themselves every year.
...how do you support that pit of a "club"?!?!
Rodri is only 8 years younger than Busquets, there is no grand difference in the average quality of players. Everyone 8 years ago was a legend and everyone now is no good, is it?
Rodri may not have won it in Messi/Ronaldo era but he would have finished top 5 no problem based on his performances in the past few seasons.
I like Vini because he's a great player and the most entertaining player currently.
But the meltdown from Real Madrid has been glorious. I'm glad Rodri won. Madrid deserve to cry and suffer. Horrible entitled babies
But the meltdown from Real Madrid has been glorious. I'm glad Rodri won. Madrid deserve to cry and suffer. Horrible entitled babies
Rodri was definitely in the PL best 11 of the season
Vini is a fantastic football player, one of the best. He is absolutely undeserving of the disgusting racist abuse he has consistently received, of course he is. He is also a bit of a dickhead on the pitch too. All of this can be true.
One thing is for sure, when Rodri arrived at Man City and when Vini arrived at Madrid, no one could have foreseen they'd develop into the players they've become. Specially Vini I have to say
Vini was actually a very exciting talent when he joined Madrid and there were lots of Neymar comparisons already. I think after two years or so, at the time Benzema told his team mates not to pass to him anymore, was when nobody would have anticipated that. But Madrid always saw Ballon D'Or potential in him, I think.
It’s annoying how City replaced Fernandinho, who was a very good midfielder too, with someone much better. We never replaced any of our Fergie players properly.
I'm pretty sure there were really reliable rumours that Madrid offered him to us at a cut priced deal at one stage when things were not quite clicking.
I think it might have been the summer we signed Sancho but want to choose not to believe that miserable thought.
I was talking about how the general public perceived them before. I could be wrong but at the time it seemed like Koke was the better midfielder at Atleti. Vini was very raw and clumsy a few years ago.
Incredible development
Just saw that Ancelotti was awarded with the coach of the year prize. It would have made much more sense to give the Ballon D'Or to Vinicius (the outstanding individual in a team that doesn't really have a distinctive playing style) and the coach of the year to Fuentes (the coach of a team that convinced with a strong collective and an amazing playing style). Instead you gave the coach of the year to the coach who was carried by his players and the prize for individual brillance a player that rarely produces magic and thrives in functioning collectives.
Yeah, he was very clumsy but that only showed when he was playing in La Liga. I remember that there were many videos of him doing incredible tricks in the Brazilian league, comparable to Endrick and Estevao just recently and a little bit like Neymar before him, just not as much hype.
You don't think Xabi Alonso should have won it?
I think Xabi should have gotten it. Then again, these awards are bit of a popularity contest, but what Alonso did with Leverkusen is Fergusonesque. Unforgettable season for him and the club
I remember in the 90's the balon d'or was announced and people would go well done he's a class player.
Now it seems it has become more important the the CL itself. Mental the hype around it these days.
Now it seems it has become more important the the CL itself. Mental the hype around it these days.
Uh, no he wouldn't. Rodri has better PR, but he is is not a better footballer than Busquets. Busquets was/is very technical. Which is not to say that Rodri is not, but he isn't to the same degree.
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Arda Güler coming 2nd in the Kopa Trophy is a fecking joke btw He played 440 minutes of club football last season
Mainoo got 2600 and Cubarsí got 2700 for comparison, and both of them very actually very important players for their clubs
He played 440 minutes of club football last seasonMainoo got 2600 and Cubarsí got 2700 for comparison, and both of them very actually very important players for their clubs
The issue is you think only Busquets' cute little turns and dragbacks are technique.
Rodri has a superior passing range, defensive awareness, shooting ability, aerial threat, final pass and physicality.
Busquets is more press resistant and that's it. Busquets is one of the main reasons for Barca's humiliations in Europe post 2015. He was very easy to dribble past and Barca's midfield got dominated in almost every big European tie.
Busquets is the definition of a system player while Rodri is a complete player.
Balon D'Or is given way more importance than it deserve. I wish Vini and RM reaction was different and they did not give it so much importance.
I feel the thing got blown out of proportion during the Ronaldo/Messi era as it played a big role in their rivalry. I do not remember in earlier era that people cared that much about it.
It's going to be subjective trophy. Everyone has their own favorite. So many time one player has won the trophy while someone else deserved it more.
Messi won it for winning WC. If Kolu Muani had scored in 118 minute it would have been Haaland.
The trophies you win on the pitch are much more important. I hope it motivate RM players because at the moment they are playing like a bag of shit.
I feel the thing got blown out of proportion during the Ronaldo/Messi era as it played a big role in their rivalry. I do not remember in earlier era that people cared that much about it.
It's going to be subjective trophy. Everyone has their own favorite. So many time one player has won the trophy while someone else deserved it more.
Messi won it for winning WC. If Kolu Muani had scored in 118 minute it would have been Haaland.
The trophies you win on the pitch are much more important. I hope it motivate RM players because at the moment they are playing like a bag of shit.
If Kolo Muani scored, it would have been Mbappe easily. Hattrick in the world cup final and great stats all year round.
I mean, in the end it is the Ballon D'Or we are talking about and you're not going to win one of their prizes without a big international trophy.
And it would have been a travesty.
Well my point was someone else would win it.
In my opinion if you are truely the best in the world than the result of 1 game should not change the outcome of Balon D'or.
Rodri has better PR is bullshit, he’s a defensive midfielder for City who nobody really cares about vs a Barcelona legend. There has been nobody cheering on Rodri or hyping him up in his career whatsoever, all credit has been hard earned.
Rodri was second best player in the PL for average rating on WhoScored last season for example from DM which is rare, and best in Europe on SofaScore with an average rating of 7.62 per game. That’s a higher rating than Busquets ever got, he peaked at 7.41 in 11/12.
Rodri 17 goal contributions in the league, A DM.
Vini 20 goal contributions in the league, a winger.
Vini 20 goal contributions in the league, a winger.
I am glad Rodri won it to give some credit to defensive midfielders. I donot think many have won it except lothar mattheus and matthias Sammer. Even Rykaard has not.
Rodri unlike Iniesta and Xavi is fortunate he didn’t have to compete in the Ronaldo vs Messi era.
James Ward-Prowse 14 goal contributions in the league, a CM.Rodri 17 goal contributions in the league, A DM.
Vini 20 goal contributions in the league, a winger.
Lamine Yamal 10 goal contributions in the league, a winger.
Do you see how dumb that looks? There are plenty of examples like this. It doesn't mean anything at all.
Not dumb just leaving out the trophies and absolute monster value to the team/national squad.
Lamine isn't getting Ballon d or shouts. He just emerged last season. He's ranked pretty high mostly because of his amazing Euro campaign.
Vinicius is a winger/inside forward with negligible defensive duties. Statistics matter a lot for this role in modern football.
This isn't a traditional winger in a 442 system in the 90s. Most teams today are designed to maximize the output of the wingers/inside forwards.
The Premier League has been cheering him on and hyping him up and you've clearly bought it completely.
I'm also bemused as to why you would be trying to use Sofascore ratings to settle the issue. What with Rodri not being in the top 10 in performances at the Euros as far as their 'algorithm' is concerned. Number one? Fabian Ruiz. Maybe we should give him the Ballon D'Or instead.
Why is it often Barcelona and Real Madrid fans who downplay Rodri's success? Is it because he plays in the PL? Surprised they aren't glad that a Spanish player won, their previous BdO win was in 1960 and I always felt it was a pity Messi and Ronaldo blocked Spanish players from winning between 2008-2012 when Spain were most dominant.
Technique is not just about close control, Busquets couldn’t shoot like Rodri and his long passing was probably worse as well.