Ballon d'Or discussion and odds

[Cookdata]

Who else should win it in the list of nominees? Haaland? of course no because he is a player that is not too good when their team is not attacking which why he score less goals this season when a player that is feeding him with long balls is injured and his team Manchester City are finding it difficult to score goals.

Messi is a play maker and that is what Haaland is not. A playmaker doesn't wait for Midfielders and wingers to do all the job for him to get the ball and score, a playmaker does the job of midfielder, winger and a striker and Messi has thia combination and that's why the record showed that Messi had more assist than other contenders in the list of runners. Winning the world cup was a booster that increased Messi chance of winning Balon D'or than any other players because even if it was Mbape that won the World cup, they will picked him over Haaland that won the treble because World cup is a very heavy and most desire trophy that comes around ones in every four years.

Messi is great player but I don't also think he deserve this Ballom d'Or this time because the team he played for last season which is PSG is in a league that is not that competitive, and Messi and other good players like Neymar, Mbappe and others cannot help them win Champion's League last season; for that reason, Haaland deserve it more based on club performance because Messi only Win World Cup, League one and small trophies while Haaland won Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and FA Cup.

What are you saying Mr. Man, Messi won the League 1 twice in a row, how are they even better than him because Haaland won the Champions League and Premier League. Messi single handedly led other players to the World cup, without him no way that world cup is coming back home. Even Haaland presence wasn't felt in the Champions League final, no goal from him and no single assist but Messi was everywhere in the World cup from the group stage until the final. If it were to be like that and a vote was supposed to pass around without Messi been a contender, they will favour Mbape over Haaland because having to World cup back to back will definitely be an advantage for him.

[KTChampions]

You pretend that you don’t understand the problem - the one who is recognized as the best should show not just “average” results in the farm league, but something truly amazing, as Haaland did. Messi was knocked out of the Champions League in the 1/8 finals two times in a row without scoring or assisting. The fact that he will receive another stolen Ballon d'Or is only evidence of ongoing corruption.

Exactly, as the best in the world you need to show more than an average performance which Haaland did, he won the champions league, premier league, FA cup as well and was the highest goal scorer in the premier league, he scored nearly 50 goals and they say it’s not enough, so ridiculous . Most people who think like @temple here are just blind messi fans who just don’t want to admit the fact that this is pure robbery, Haaland was robbed this year and even messi himself admitted Haaland deserved it. Messi did nothing spectacular this year he only won the world cup and why didn’t players who won the world cup back in the years messi won Ballon D’or win the Award? The france Award is corrupt and it is not awarded based on merit anymore because this is an obvious robbery and i can never take the Ballon d’or award seriously anymore.

Messi went to PSG and failed to show impact and ran to the MLS and still couldn’t show any real impact in the MLS league, his team have been suffering back to back losses and are about to be relegated and they still went on to gift him the award, it’s so funny.

Hahaha, you just don’t understand: according to the logic of the fanboys, if a team wins, then it’s Messi’s merit, but if it loses, then it’s the team’s problem, Messi has nothing to do with it 
Everything else works exactly the same - if Messi failed at the World Cup, then it is not important, if he failed everywhere except the World Cup, then the World Cup is important.

In general, it’s sad that Messi could have gone down in history as a great athlete even from “one team,” (far from the best, but at the level of Thomas Müller, Totti, etc.) but he went down as a great thief.

[loveurself420]

IMO it was not fair. Messi didn't played well in his present club compared to the performance of Ronaldo in at El Nasir. I believe he actually won the Ballon d'Or because of the world cup he won and he had performed and manage his countries team to win.
<Snip>

Just win a world cup and you win the Ballon d'Or

Ronaldo is far away from taking the Ballon d'Or for many reasons, Ronaldo didn't have any won trophies this season compared to Messi or even Haaland.
Beside that, we can't compare the level of Saudi Arabia League and Europ leagues. By the history of Ballon d'Or winners we can see that they always favorite players with more trophies and each one has a value. World cup is the most valuable trophy even compared to UCL trophy.

For me, Messi really deserve his eighth Ballon d'Or, as he is the favorite competitor to win. I believe also in the next versions we will see a competition between Halaand and Mbappé.

[LFC_Bitcoin]

I think Haaland possibly should have been crowned but I understand why Messi was voted as the best player in the world. I mean domestically Messi wasn’t great but winning the World Cup was all he was missing from his trophy laden career.

I just feel like Haaland’s season was better than Messi’s. Possibly it was a sentimental reason Messi was crowned but I don’t think too many people will complain.

It’ll be interesting to see who wins it next year. It won’t be Messi or Ronaldo, their time is over due to age. It’s time for the new class to emerge.

[un_rank]

In general, it’s sad that Messi could have gone down in history as a great athlete even from “one team,” (far from the best, but at the level of Thomas Müller, Totti, etc.) but he went down as a great thief.

This is quite the take on arguably one of the greatest players that football has ever witnessed. Putting Messi at the level of Totti and Muller clearly shows that you do not watch the sport at all or you support a rival club/player which makes you blind to what goes on in it.

I am not even a fanboy, I just watch football neutrally and call what I see. It is debatable whether Messi won this Balon D'or just as the one that Modric one and some Ronaldo won as well. That is football, fans have their opinions and can go extreme with it, but saying he "could" have gone does as a great athlete... is ridiculous.

- Jay -

[Davidvictorson]

Ballon d'Or is no longer something you win; it's something you're given. It's not a reliable measure of football performance anymore. If we're comparing achievements like the World Cup (Messi) and the treble (Haaland), then shouldn't Alvarez win the Ballon d'Or since he's won both?

FYI, this award isn't decided by a committee. It's determined by votes from 100 journalists representing various nations. Each journalist has one vote.

The Ballon D'or certainly isn't fair given that people have to vote. Yes, I know Messi was great at the world cup and definitely did his best and won however, Haaland was also phenomenal last season. He was by far the best player but if the World Cup is the determining factor than I guess Messi deserved it otherwise it should have gone to Haaland given his man city performance last season.

[Lillominato89]

I don't want to discuss Messi's now well-known qualities and career, ok he won the World Cup last year and he certainly had a big impact on the final verdict, but in my opinion this edition of the Ballon d'Or seemed like a farce, Haaland did it extraordinary things throughout the year! broke record after record, won the Premier League and the Champions League but it wasn't enough to receive the right recognition for what he did. My congratulations to Messi for having obtained his eighth Ballon d'Or, a record that is difficult to replicate

[harapan]

Ballon d'Or is no longer something you win; it's something you're given. It's not a reliable measure of football performance anymore. If we're comparing achievements like the World Cup (Messi) and the treble (Haaland), then shouldn't Alvarez win the Ballon d'Or since he's won both?

FYI, this award isn't decided by a committee. It's determined by votes from 100 journalists representing various nations. Each journalist has one vote.

The Ballon D'or certainly isn't fair given that people have to vote. Yes, I know Messi was great at the world cup and definitely did his best and won however, Haaland was also phenomenal last season. He was by far the best player but if the World Cup is the determining factor than I guess Messi deserved it otherwise it should have gone to Haaland given his man city performance last season.

When asked of who should win the Ballon D'or this year, Pep Guardiola  said he had a great affection for the both players who cake first and second to win the award.  He went on to say  Messi had a fantastic world cup competition and should have it. Messi was also grateful he was crowned winner still he knew Haaland was better than him from his final speech given on stage.
Most people believe that Haaland should have gotten it and he should. He will do better this season having Pep Guardiola as his guide is a good opportunity he should be considered lucky to win it.

[topbitcoin]

I think Haaland possibly should have been crowned but I understand why Messi was voted as the best player in the world. I mean domestically Messi wasn’t great but winning the World Cup was all he was missing from his trophy laden career.

I just feel like Haaland’s season was better than Messi’s. Possibly it was a sentimental reason Messi was crowned but I don’t think too many people will complain.

After all, this is the most prestigious award in the world of football and this award is highly coveted by world-class football players.
And here I also think the same as you, that Erling Halland is the one who deserves this award, because I see Halland performing so perfectly in almost every match. but here I also think. Maybe this is the last gift given by FIFA to Lionel Messi before Lionel Messi really retires from the world of football.

It’ll be interesting to see who wins it next year. It won’t be Messi or Ronaldo, their time is over due to age. It’s time for the new class to emerge.

Not Messi and not Ronaldo because their time is over, but "no" with Kylian Mbappe because with his relatively young age and quite good playing performance, I am sure that he can still perform well in the next few years and remain a candidate who is strong in the race for the Ballon d'Or for the next few years.

[Mr.right85]

Ballon d'Or is no longer something you win; it's something you're given. It's not a reliable measure of football performance anymore. If we're comparing achievements like the World Cup (Messi) and the treble (Haaland), then shouldn't Alvarez win the Ballon d'Or since he's won both?

FYI, this award isn't decided by a committee. It's determined by votes from 100 journalists representing various nations. Each journalist has one vote.

The Ballon D'or certainly isn't fair given that people have to vote. Yes, I know Messi was great at the world cup and definitely did his best and won however, Haaland was also phenomenal last season. He was by far the best player but if the World Cup is the determining factor than I guess Messi deserved it otherwise it should have gone to Haaland given his man city performance last season.

Honestly, there have been confusion over the determining factor to win the Ballon D'or. We still don’t know what a player has to win to be able to win this award. Today, a player’s performance in the World Cup can get you this award. Tomorrow, you play well at club level and you get crowned the Ballon D' or. There are so many uncertainties around this award and with time, the award will become irrelevant if this continues. A lot of football fans believes Haaland should have won this award because he had a better season than everyone else. Talking about his achievements, he won the UCL, EPL, FA Cup and has broken goal scoring records in the process. It’s unfair that Messi wining the World Cup alone gave him this award.

[Die_empty]

The Ballon D'or certainly isn't fair given that people have to vote. Yes, I know Messi was great at the world cup and definitely did his best and won however, Haaland was also phenomenal last season. He was by far the best player but if the World Cup is the determining factor than I guess Messi deserved it otherwise it should have gone to Haaland given his man city performance last season.

I lost confidence in the voting pattern of the Ballon d'Or two years ago when it was won by Messi when it was clear that Robert Lewandowski deserved the award. Since then I have stopped watching the event and lowered my expectations on the awards. It seems the system is already skewed to favor Messi. His only achievement is just the World Cup while Erling Haaland achieved more than him. We will not be surprised that the Argentine skipper will be given another Ballon d'Or after his retirement for doing nothing .

In general, it’s sad that Messi could have gone down in history as a great athlete even from “one team,” (far from the best, but at the level of Thomas Müller, Totti, etc.) but he went down as a great thief.

Messi might not deserve the last two Ballon d'Or he won but he is a great player. He is one of the greatest players in the world and I don't think he should be compared with players like Muller and Totti. Messi is far above their class and should be compared with players like Ronaldo, Maradona, and Platini. Some of the awards he has won is disputable but it doesn't erase the fact that he deserved most of them.

[BITCOIN4X]

I don't want to discuss Messi's now well-known qualities and career, ok he won the World Cup last year and he certainly had a big impact on the final verdict, but in my opinion this edition of the Ballon d'Or seemed like a farce, Haaland did it extraordinary things throughout the year! broke record after record, won the Premier League and the Champions League but it wasn't enough to receive the right recognition for what he did. My congratulations to Messi for having obtained his eighth Ballon d'Or, a record that is difficult to replicate

Winning the World Cup is not as easy as a team winning the Champions League. The World Cup is a big event that doesn't happen every year and not all super stars can win it with their country. Messi won it and I have to say that it has beaten the winner of the Champions League and the owner of other records such as top scorer, but Messi didn't just win it because of the World Cup.

There will always be those who hate him and there will always be those who love him, that is something that cannot be avoided because of disappointment and admiration. Messi has won 8 awards throughout his career, but I was impressed by his speech that basically Haaland could also win the award this season because of his performance and achievements last season.

[el kaka22]

I do understand people not being happy with Messi winning it, there are a lot of people who thought that he shouldn't have won, and to be fair it is not the first time, when you look back on the history of this award, we can say that almost each year there was at least one other player that was equally good to the winner, sometimes even better.

However, in this case, we could be quite sure that it is literally his very last one, there is no scenario that he will win another one, the fact that world cup happened when it did and not earlier, and Messi getting it gave him a big edge over Haaland. I think people do have the right to be upset over this, I think Messi deserved it, but I also understand whoever says he didn't, I wouldn't argue, Haaland definitely deserved it too. Although, I would say it was Messi or Haaland, I wouldn't give it to anyone else.

[Rruchi man]

Ballon d'Or is no longer something you win; it's something you're given. It's not a reliable measure of football performance anymore. If we're comparing achievements like the World Cup (Messi) and the treble (Haaland), then shouldn't Alvarez win the Ballon d'Or since he's won both?

I see the award as an award given to the player who has the most influence for their team in very big and important games, players who can make a difference regardless of the team that their team is up against. Haaland may have scored a good number of goals last season, wo the treble with Manchester City, but he is not Balon d'Or material yet because in big games, he can be completely shadowed out.

See Jude Bellingham for instance, he is Balon d'Or material, seen how he carries his team, just like Mbappe who can also on singlehandedly make a huge impact in a game. See past winners like Ronaldo and even Benzema, they all had huge influence for their team in the season they won the award, scoring goals, and creating chances for others.

Haaland got the award he deserve for the now, he is a great goal scorer, nobody denies that, but there should still be a lot of improvement to his game to be considered the best player in the world.

[KTChampions]

In general, it’s sad that Messi could have gone down in history as a great athlete even from “one team,” (far from the best, but at the level of Thomas Müller, Totti, etc.) but he went down as a great thief.

This is quite the take on arguably one of the greatest players that football has ever witnessed. Putting Messi at the level of Totti and Muller clearly shows that you do not watch the sport at all or you support a rival club/player which makes you blind to what goes on in it.

I am not even a fanboy, I just watch football neutrally and call what I see. It is debatable whether Messi won this Balon D'or just as the one that Modric one and some Ronaldo won as well. That is football, fans have their opinions and can go extreme with it, but saying he "could" have gone does as a great athlete... is ridiculous.

- Jay -

All these are words, but in fact Messi without Barcelona is an ordinary average player. If you watch football, then you must have heard about Iniesta, Xavi and others who were consistently better than Messi (and achieved the greatest achievements without him, while he failed without them) but did not win a single Ballon d'Or.
And yes, one thing most bright is always memorable, Messi was good, but one of the brightest “threads” in his career was being a favorite of football officials (you understand what kind of scum these are, you follow football, hehe?) and a thief.

[Miles2006]

IMO it was not fair. Messi didn't played well in his present club compared to the performance of Ronaldo in at El Nasir. I believe he actually won the Ballon d'Or because of the world cup he won and he had performed and manage his countries team to win.

Earlier today I had some conversations about this and led to some argument with my freind and neighbor. Most of them were sentimental because they love Messi and a loyal fan to him. One of them said something that changed my mindset. He said in other to win the Ballon d'Or it does not depend on the voting strength its different now. What is important is your input to the team you play with. When Mudrich won the Ballon d'Or he won world cup and played very well and his impact to his team was top notch.

Just win a world cup and you win the Ballon d'Or

Very boring, almost every one talking about Messi
The Messi I know, just like what you said Messi don't deserve this award when talking about Messi and Cr7, Messi is no where compared to Ronaldo for real, never. When it comes to creativeness and football I will give the card to Ronaldo. Now I want to understand something, I think this Ballon d'Or award would have been given to mbappe if France  had won the world cup and that's just the truth. Honestly speaking Messi dont deserve  this award why? He lacks creative skill this time. Secondly why am I seeing people calling Haaland, same Haaland that has been quite for a while he only get a chance to score goal when their opponent are weak and can't play, just like what he did to Manchester united this Sunday. For me mbappe deserves this award

[QueenVera]

I do understand people not being happy with Messi winning it, there are a lot of people who thought that he shouldn't have won, and to be fair it is not the first time, when you look back on the history of this award, we can say that almost each year there was at least one other player that was equally good to the winner, sometimes even better.

However, in this case, we could be quite sure that it is literally his very last one, there is no scenario that he will win another one, the fact that world cup happened when it did and not earlier, and Messi getting it gave him a big edge over Haaland. I think people do have the right to be upset over this, I think Messi deserved it, but I also understand whoever says he didn't, I wouldn't argue, Haaland definitely deserved it too. Although, I would say it was Messi or Haaland, I wouldn't give it to anyone else.

Well I think in a much as I don't like the fact that he's created a record that would be very difficult to be broken, he was very impressive in the world cup, and helped his country to secure the trophy, also performed well in the Ligue 1 while he was at PSG last season he scored about 19 goals in all competitions with 16 assists, he deserves the Trophy, some people should understand that FIFA has made their decision on who they feel merits the award and their is nothing anyone can do about it, they should just accept the fact that he's an 8th time Ballon D'or title winner.

 However Haaland had a very impressive season, he's a wonderful player and won a lot of trophies including scoring a very good number or goals and I think more than other striker in Europe last season if it were possible to give two Ballon D'or trophies then Haaland deserves one, but then it's not possible and he should keep working hard cause he could still win it in the near future.

[AakZaki]

~snip~

From 10 La Liga, 7 Copa Del Rey, 1 Trophee Des Champions, 8 Spanish Super Cup, 3 Club World Cup, 3 UEFA Super Cup, 2 League 1, 1 Copa America, Finalissima and World Cup each, 6 Golden Boots, 8 Ballon d'Or amongst others.

Congratulations to Messi on the great mark achieved. Congratulations to Barcelona. Congratulations to Argentina and other major teams he had played in.

What Messi got this, this year he is a World Cup champion? But for achievements at the club it was zero or even a failure. But why is the Ballon De'Or held every year? I think it's unfair that the world cup achievement is the best. I think Haaland will be better than Messi. Maybe there are many fans who have the same opinion as me. It should be calculated from one year and the average achievements at club and country. It would seem that it would be fairer than the current result.

[Sandra_hakeem]

Alot of peeps be saying that Messi wasn't supposed to be given the ballon d'Or.. wow, so who else was more close to having it this time around?? Bellingham that has barely no records yet?? Or Mbappe that's been struggling at 24 without major league trophies??... Who? Halland? That just begun his career and didn't win a single international trophy during the world cup?... I don't really understand how people make evaluations with someone that took his team to the finals and prevailed... Like, isn't he worth to have a either d'Or?

Sandra 🧑‍🦰

[un_rank]

All these are words, but in fact Messi without Barcelona is an ordinary average player.

Messi without Barcelona did not exist so we cannot make any assumption on what he was or would have been. The closest we can use is his National team and Messi without Barcelona in this situation is a,
- World Cup winner,
- Copa America winner,
- Olympic gold medalist,
- 2× World cup Golden ball,
- Two times world cup finalist.

A very fine record if you ask me.

If you watch football, then you must have heard about Iniesta, Xavi and others who were consistently better than Messi (and achieved the greatest achievements without him, while he failed without them) but did not win a single Ballon d'Or.

On what criteria are they better than Messi?
And what greatest achievement are you talking about, world cup? Yeah, he has achieved that.

- Jay -