Ballon d’Or 2024 — post-Messi era

[TheNewEra]

Messi is the absolute GOAT in my eyes and I think some of the years Ronaldo won it were due to Real Madrids CL. CR7 was not the best player.

I watch all of Messi's games still and suffice to say you can notice the decline now especially this year, in Copa he was similar to Kane for England just not 100% and off the boil. Messi especially for MLS the last months.

I think this year its between Vini, Bellingham and there's an argument towards Rodri given he was the player of the tournament and won the EPL and Euros.

 

[dinostar77]

The rules were changed in 22/23. So you could see Rodri winning it. Though Vinicius probably deserves it.

What criteria are used to vote on players?
Ballon d'Or is often a yardstick to decide who's had the best year, which changed to the best season from 2021/22 onwards, but there are three specific criteria that journalists base their final votes on:

• Individual performance in the previous season (no longer by calendar year).
• Team success during the previous season.
• Player behavior and fair play during the season.

The parameters ensure the player who performs at an elite level and helps their team win silverware will earn the recognition they deserve more often than not.

 

[Joel Miller]

I’d go Rodri or Vinny Jr. Yeah Brazil went out but that wasn’t on him since he wasn’t on the pitch, and he was just absolute pivotal in producing big moments in another CL win.

Rodri was the player of the euros and won another title and was actually really good against Madrid despite his side going out.

Would be a bit of a farce if Bellingham won it after all those knockout game disappearing acts in the CL and in the Euros.

 

[antohan]

The rules were changed in 22/23. So you could see Rodri winning it. Though Vinicius probably deserves it.

What criteria are used to vote on players?
Ballon d'Or is often a yardstick to decide who's had the best year, which changed to the best season from 2021/22 onwards, but there are three specific criteria that journalists base their final votes on:

• Individual performance in the previous season (no longer by calendar year).
• Team success during the previous season.
• Player behavior and fair play during the season.

The parameters ensure the player who performs at an elite level and helps their team win silverware will earn the recognition they deserve more often than not.

First thought is Vinicius Jr., but if player behaviour and fair play weigh heavily you have to wonder. He is a bit of a cock and his excuse for Brazil crashing out is... being suspended.

Rodri could get it and it would be nice for a change to see a defensive player get it.

Bellingham shouldn't be in the picture any more than Yamal really. In fact the latter was more pivotal to Spain's win than Bellingham to Real in the CL. Plenty of years ahead to build up his case.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

I think Dani Carvajal should get it. Is he the best player in the world? Hell no. But he arguably had the best season.
Incredibly consistent, reliable, has great leadership and fighting spirit. Added goals to his game and scored the clutch goal of the season in the UCL final.
Bellingham, Vini, Rodri or anyone else just doesn't feel right.

It's the same logic that got Jorginho into Ballon d'Or contention in 2021 despite being nowhere near the best players in the world. Carvajal has had a great season but come on be realistic, he's nowhere near the best player in the world. You can't win the Ballon d'Or based on fighting spirit.

 

[antohan]

Carvajal has had a great season but come on be realistic, he's nowhere near the best player in the world. You can't win the Ballon d'Or based on fighting spirit.

Or scoring the winner in the final.

It's not a bad shout really. Does he not make a current World XI? Probably does?

 

[TheLord]

Vini can't be stopped this year. The Real Madrid allure itself is sufficient to win a quarter of the votes. Rest is on his league and CL performances.

 

[giorno]

It will be Vini or Rodri, can't look beyond those two. Either would be a deserving winner

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Or scoring the winner in the final.

It's not a bad shout really. Does he not make a current World XI? Probably does?

If you have to say 'probably' about a right back making a World XI then they're not the best player in the world.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I hope Vinicius wins it. Rodri was good at the Euros but I don’t think he was as good as made out. There were others at or around his level in that team such as Ruiz, Yamal, Williams and Carvajal.

Vinicius was magnificent in the CL and comes age odd as a likeable fellow. He’s also not part of 115FC.

 

[antohan]

If you have to say 'probably' about a right back making a World XI then they're not the best player in the world.

I can also see people putting together World XIs without Vini Jr, Bellingham or Rodri in them. Carvajal is probably as nailed on as Vini.

I'd argue Rodri is probably the hardest to exclude.

Definitely. Maybe.

 

[Swordsman]

No Messi ? He just won the Copa America!

 

[JogaBonitoRooney]

No Messi ? He just won the Copa America!

If he wins MLS. He should definitely get it. None of the others have been that special.

 

[Rockets Redglare]

If he wins MLS. He should definitely get it. None of the others have been that special.

No white text?

 

[Scandi Red]

It will be Vini or Rodri, can't look beyond those two. Either would be a deserving winner

I hope it's Rodri. Has a DM ever won it? Or at the very least a CM who's not a major attacking threat?

 

[LankyHoggie]

I hope it's Rodri. Has a DM ever won it? Or at the very least a CM who's not a major attacking threat?

Lothar Matthaus, although he did score a good amount of goals.
Agree it should be Rodri, comfortably.

 

[SonOfFergie]

Or scoring the winner in the final.

It's not a bad shout really. Does he not make a current World XI? Probably does?

As much as I hate Carvajal he is probably in best XI and got all the titles in previous year League, UCL, EURO's. He should be in there with a shout. Rodri, Carvajal, Vini for me in that order.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

I hope it's Rodri. Has a DM ever won it? Or at the very least a CM who's not a major attacking threat?

There was no such thing as a DM before sometime around 1995-2000 in fairness.

 

[Scandi Red]

There was no such thing as a DM before sometime around 1995-2000 in fairness.

But surely there were CMs who didn't score plenty of goals or dribble past 2-3 players?

My point is that you typically need to be a hero in attack or defence to win it (the former more often than the latter). Those in between tend to be overlooked.

But I see now that I'm a total goldfish. Modric won it in 2018 and he kind of fits the bill. Low-scoring and not that many assists. But he could dribble though...

 

[SonOfFergie]

Rodri, season 2023/24:

63 games

12 goals

14 assists

Premier League winner

EURO’s winner

FIFA Club World Cup Winner

UEFA Super Cup winner

EURO’S Player of the Tournament

FIFA Club World Cup Player of the Tournament

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Rodri, season 2023/24:

63 games

12 goals

14 assists

Premier League winner

EURO’s winner

EURO’S Player of the Tournament

Let’s at least remove the filler.

Looks great but a little less impressive then in fairness. I think the CL & La Liga winner is as impressive. Straight shoot out between them I guess.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

But surely there were CMs who didn't score plenty of goals or dribble past 2-3 players?

My point is that you typically need to be a hero in attack or defence to win it (the former more often than the latter). Those in between tend to be overlooked.

But I see now that I'm a total goldfish. Modric won it in 2018 and he kind of fits the bill. Low-scoring and not that many assists. But he could dribble though...

Just proof that it’s such a pointless silly award really.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

I can also see people putting together World XIs without Vini Jr, Bellingham or Rodri in them. Carvajal is probably as nailed on as Vini.

I'd argue Rodri is probably the hardest to exclude.

Definitely. Maybe.

But no full back has won the award and there were far more impressive ones than him. If Dani Alves, Lahm, Maldini, Carlos, Cafu etc didn’t win it then Carvajal is hardly in that company that he’s such a good full-back he dominates the game. I don’t think anyone watching Carvajal thinks that. That’s the only way a full-back would win the award, if they were Dani Alves at Sevilla level influence on a winning team.

Kyle Walker was a poor pick for right back in team of the tournament but Carvajal couldn’t even make team of the tournament for the Euros despite there being 6 Spanish players there (I would have went for Koundé) compared to Lahm who made 5 straight tournament best XIs for example.

 

[SilentWitness]

Really underwhelming year. Don't think anyone has done enough to be seen as a clear winner.

 

[giorno]

I hope it's Rodri. Has a DM ever won it? Or at the very least a CM who's not a major attacking threat?

Suarez, Beckenbauer, Matthaus and Sammer off the top of my head

 

[Tom Cato]

This should be Rodri, but yeah its time to really lower the standards when comparing to Messi/Ronaldo

 

[Lay]

Messi just did a dribble
Someone hand him a ballon d'or right now

 

[Swordsman]

The rules were changed in 22/23. So you could see Rodri winning it. Though Vinicius probably deserves it.

What criteria are used to vote on players?
Ballon d'Or is often a yardstick to decide who's had the best year, which changed to the best season from 2021/22 onwards, but there are three specific criteria that journalists base their final votes on:

• Individual performance in the previous season (no longer by calendar year).
• Team success during the previous season.
• Player behavior and fair play during the season.

The parameters ensure the player who performs at an elite level and helps their team win silverware will earn the recognition they deserve more often than not.

team success ? club and international which have a higher percentage ?

 

[Ish]

I hope Vinicius wins it. Rodri was good at the Euros but I don’t think he was as good as made out. There were others at or around his level in that team such as Ruiz, Yamal, Williams and Carvajal.

Vinicius was magnificent in the CL and comes age odd as a likeable fellow. He’s also not part of 115FC.

Yeah Vinivius or Rodri for me. Though I'm biased, but would love another midfielder to win after Modric won it in 2018 iirc.

 

[antohan]

team success ? club and international which have a higher percentage ?

You think voters do the maths?

We have a South American Player of the Year ran by a local paper in Uruguay, with hundreds of submissions from the heads of sports section of all relevant newspapers.

They do something odd which occasionally produces surprising results: they count all votes for best player but also add how many times a player features in the continental XI.

If you really are the best you will probably win on both counts, but the XI inclusion lets goalies, defenders and midfielders have a fair crack at it. E.g. Cafú won it once, for example.

 

[Kwabs]

I hope it's Rodri. Has a DM ever won it? Or at the very least a CM who's not a major attacking threat?

It's looking like it could be him. Which would make a nice change

 

[Greyfog]

Hope it's Rodri too. What a baller.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

feck Rodri. Don’t want any 115 wanker near the award.

 

[AngeloHenriquez]

Would love it to go to somebody who isn't an attacker (AM, Striker or Winger), my son is a defender and the sport does so much to discourage recognizing the top defensive minded players, people like Rudiger, Camavinga, Stones, Vitinha, Rodri

 

[RoyH1]

Lothar Matthaus, although he did score a good amount of goals.
Agree it should be Rodri, comfortably.

No. Pheck a Guardiola dope boy getting the award. Don't need more validation for 115. Spain not missing a beat after he left the field in the final showing he's not that special.

Give it to Vinicius.

 

[That_Bloke]

Between Rodri and Vini Jr.

It's still a massive drop in contenders quality this year, they should hand a fake gold trophy.

 

[Swordsman]

You think voters do the maths?

We have a South American Player of the Year ran by a local paper in Uruguay, with hundreds of submissions from the heads of sports section of all relevant newspapers.

They do something odd which occasionally produces surprising results: they count all votes for best player but also add how many times a player features in the continental XI.

If you really are the best you will probably win on both counts, but the XI inclusion lets goalies, defenders and midfielders have a fair crack at it. E.g. Cafú won it once, for example.

by that metric, Haaland will never be the best cos the nation he represented is shit in football.

 

[Red Star One]

by that metric, Haaland will never be the best cos the nation he represented is shit in football.

but it was pretty much always like this? It's not impossible to win Ballon d'Or if your country is shit at football and has no chance of winning anything, but it's just much harder to get those individual recognitions if you can't shine on the international scene - think about Giggs, I always thought he'd be much more of a global superstar had he played for a better national team. And then, since the 90s you still had winners from Bulgaria, Czechia, Liberia and Ukraine.

 

[antohan]

by that metric, Haaland will never be the best cos the nation he represented is shit in football.

Which metric did you imagine?

The one I described is an award based on local club performance. E.g. Messi never got a single vote as he never played club football in South America. There's no point to the award otherwise (it would just be Ballon d'Or filtering out non-South Americans).

The Cafú example is from way back in 1994 when he wasn't even the starting rightback for Brazil. Tévez won it the most times: 2003, 2004, 2005.

It's actually a rather good "who to watch out for", particularly the XI ignoring returnees (e.g. Verón won it twice after returning from Europe).

 

[Hoof the ball]

It will be Vini or Rodri, can't look beyond those two. Either would be a deserving winner

The unfortunate aspect of these things is that Rodri is likely not going to win it. Look at the PL POTY award. It predictably went to Foden, because, well of course......it's simply a default that if X player scored more that he had a better season. These things are rarely appraised on relative performance based on position and it's own requirements. If they were, Rodri would sweep the PL awards and the Ballon D'or, IMO.