Nah. Messi is miles out in front and a certainty to win it.
Is Neymar about to overtake Ronaldo
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Nah. Messi is miles out in front and a certainty to win it.
Aye. For all the Neymar hype lately, and it is deserved, even the staunchest Ronaldo-tribe (myself included) couldn't exclude Messi's superb form as Barca ripped new holes in practically every team they played from Jan to June this year. The lad is nailed on for another. In fact, in an objective world, it would be a shock if Ronaldo was amongst the top 3 to be honest.
I'm not taking any view on the argument, just pointing out that your reasoning is not correct. Doesn't mean your conclusions are wrong though.
It's quite logically feesible, even if not actually the case, that Neymar is no better than Aguero, and his perceived superiority is down to his team-mates. We cannot dismiss this possibility purely on the basis that other players have not been as good at Barca - if they weren't as good as Neymar and Aguero in the first place, they would still be raised by their team-mates, but not to the same heights.
FWIW, personally I suspect the phenomenon does occur to an extent - and indeed it's possible that Aguero could be close to that level in that team. But it's far from being the "primary" reason, and Neymar would probably be showing himself to be right at the top in any club.
Then how do you explain his success in the national team? I'm not dismissing the possibility purely on the basis that certain players haven't been good enough - although i don't see why not, if Neymar's superiority in the team is down to his team mates then the previous attackers (who were top class) should have been at that level or inches below. That was not the case.
If all it takes for a top forward to reach Neymar's level is to have Xavi,Iniesta and Messi around then why were certain forwards considerably underwhelming? I still don't see how this reasoning is flawed, but ok.
If all it takes for a top forward to reach Neymar's level is to have Xavi,Iniesta and Messi around then why were certain forwards considerably underwhelming? I still don't see how this reasoning is flawed, but ok.
From being overrated in a shit league and not capable of doing it in Europe, to being superior because of Messi (who has been out injured),Iniesta and Suarez.
Its actually a shame iniesta has never won it. I guess it goes with his playstyle too.
Real shame.
Im not saying he is heavily reliant on teammates, but he IS reliant on them to some extent. That doesnt mean hes not also one of the top players in the world.
Think of it this way, if Ronaldo joined Barcelona and became the focal point of that attack (as Neymar has become) he would be scoring by the bucket load. And thats the argument here, who is the better of the two.
That's really not a good point, considering Ronaldo is the focal point of Madrid's attack and he also has quality players around him. You are also using goals to determine who the better player is, which is wrong.
Ronaldo scored 45 goals in 2015, Neymar scored 43, they both had 12 assists, but only one of them was the focal point of an attack throughout the entire year, Neymar only stepped up due to Messi's injury - 6 weeks.
What player isn't reliant to some extent on his teammates? it's a team game. And ignoring certain factors like clash of egos and style of play, if Ronaldo had switched places with Neymar at the beginning of last season, he would probably have scored less goals - as Messi is the focal point of that attack.
Not really, there wasn't a single season where Iniesta truly deserved it. Even the year Spain won the WC, Messi still had a ridiculous season.
I would say he's already ahead. Not a slight on Ronaldo, just that I feel the younger Neymar has stepped up his game to another level.
Messi is bound to score goals and score goals galore in a team like Barcelona. His injuru alone shows why players like iniesta should be mentioned for the balon'dor but only strikers and wingers really do.
It's harsh on both Xavi and Iniesta but there were better players at the end of the day (year).
It really doesn't. Iniesta at his best was among the best 3 players in the world but he never sustained a consistent high form for him to truly deserve winning the Ballon d'Or.
Iniesta has actually been pretty average for a couple of years now by his standards, but that performance has many people claiming he's the best midfielder in the world and the like. Great what one performance can do for your image.
Genuine question, because people do question this, was Zidane super consistent at club level every time he won the player of the year award? Iniesta has enough big performances like zidane did, for club and country to have, in the absence of Messi and Ronaldo, had as good a shout as anyone (along with Xavi).
Well, I didn't watch his every performance during those years - so I can't answer with scientific certainty. But from what I remember he was never super consistent in the sense that he would shine throughout the ninety every time I saw him. He'd often enough go missing - but he usually came up with SOMETHING, and that something was frequently important. The WC in '98 is rather typical in that regard. He wasn't a grand spectacle throughout that tournament at all. But he delivered the goods when it mattered. And got his Ballon that year too (which obviously was partly at least down to the WC win, which it nearly always is). He was more impressive to watch, in terms of actually shining, when France won the Euro - or so I'd say.
Messi and Ronaldo have completely skewed people's notion of "consistent", though. And the primary reason for that is the goals - that's pretty obvious. They have been banging them in with a ridiculous, eye catching frequency.
It's very interesting to see how much people focus on Neymar's goal scoring too. That has become the standard. So, while the idea that Iniesta "deserved" a Ballon might be unfounded (because Messi was actually better - goals or no goals), it may nevertheless say something about the current climate. If Messi is the yardstick, the next "best player in the world" (TM) will likely be another goal scorer of some kind or another - not a player like Xavi, nor even a player like Zidane (who simply didn't bang them in with anything near what I suspect will be "required" from a certain point of view).
He never was the most consistent but in most big games he would grab the attention with great performances and class. He's very like Iniesta in this regard as you said, Zidane didn't have players like Messi and Ronaldo to compete against. If he were playing in our current era, he wouldn't have won a single B.O either.
I'm surprised that Ronaldo's decline this season isn't covered alot more by journalists/experts. It's been weird to witness. Nothing wrong with his physique still but he looks like he doesn't care anymore. Based on 2015 alone I think it's safe to say that Neymar has overtaken him. What a player the Brazilian have become.
Zidane was never really won-the-league-for-my-team consistent after his first few seasons in juve.
It's worth noting that he was also criticised in Italy for this when he picked up ballon d'ors despite it. He wouldn't have got near one with Messi around.
It's worth noting that he was also criticised in Italy for this when he picked up ballon d'ors despite it. He wouldn't have got near one with Messi around.
The question is not so much whether he has overtaken current Ronaldo but rather whether neymar is hitting similar levels to an in form Ronaldo.
That's sarcasm, right? You're not actually serious?
You can't deny there is a credible argument to be made for Messi, Suarez, Neymar as the top 3 for 2015
Well, maybe. But even if you do make a credible argument that Suárez's 25 goals vs Ronaldo's 61 goals somehow tilts the balance in the favour of the former, it certainly wouldn't be a shock if Ronaldo ended up in the top 3.
That's the stats for the 14/15 season, the Ballon d'Or is based on the calendar year. The stats since January for goals and assists are far closer, I'll try and find them.
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Owen won a ballon d'or with 41 goals in 46 games in 2001.
It's a really good era for strikers at the moment.
It's a really good era for strikers at the moment.
Benitez???
what on earth. he'd strut into our team and be the outstanding player by a mile.
but you'd only take him for a bargain fee..
riiight.
It was the European Footballer of the Year Award (not the Ballon d'or in it's current incarnarnation). Figo won the 2001 world footballer of the year award (not Owen).
Aye, Zidane wasn't always ridiculously consistent as I remember it, though he was always capable of producing the defining moment in a game.
Iniesta is less likely to produce that defining moment but I think Iniesta at his worst is a bit better in general play than Zidane was at his worst. Even during Iniesta's ordinary games his passing and touch is still on point, he just doesn't do much with it.
But yeah, neither Zidane nor Iniesta were really gonna get near the Ballon D'or ahead of Messi/Ronaldo.
Owen won the ballon d'or in 2001. No idea what you are on about.
It was a lesser trophy (in 2001), that's his point.
I've been fighting this battle for years.
You were fighting it long before it was even remotely true.
The 'Fifa Ballon D'or' as it is today is the merger of 2 awards.
1) The Ballon D'or (awarded by France Football Magazine) for the European footballer of the year
2) The Fifa World player of the year
These merged in 2010. Michael Owen won the European Footballer of the year award in 2001, Figo the Fifa World player of the year in the same year.
Well, he's wrong if that's his point. Ballon D'or has always been the most prestigious individual award in football.
I don't see how that changes anything about the point I made.
He's about to overtake him in petulance too! 
That look after the penalty was hilarious; what did he expect with no run up?
Still an awesome player though
That look after the penalty was hilarious; what did he expect with no run up? Still an awesome player though
It may be the most prestigious individual award in football but its a shit award with respect to the bias towards the type of player likely to win it. It very rarely gets awarded to defenders for example, approximately 4? defenders or goalkeepers have won the award in its entire history.
The first touch for the 6th goal