agree with you there. It should probably be either for the best player or the greatest contribution to success, ends up being unclear which is rewarded. My point is more that it is a yearly award, and, remembering how shocking Messi was in that season, I could not put Schneijder nor Xavi nor even Iniesta above him.
Greatest players never to win it would include all the great non Europeans prior to 95, such as 1 Maradona 2 Pele 3 Romario 4 Garincha 5 Socrates 6 Falcao 7 Zico 8 Passarela 9 Kempes 10 Rivellino but also the likes of Henry, Scholes, Iniesta, Buffon, Shilton, Schmichael, Maldini, Baresi, Signori, Brehme, Breitner, Ball, Laudrup, Nesta, Bebeto, Batistuta, Taking into account only one keeper and, excluding Beckenbauer (who was more of a playmaker) , only one defender, it is really a contest for the best attacking or attacking midfield player (only Rodri a holding player) playing for the most successful nation or club that year, favouring the celebrity players.
All the focus is on Rodri/Vinicius, but a Reddit post reminded me that Xabi Alonso didn't win coach of the year.
Anyone else a bit bemused by all the anger about this award? Rodri is a deserving winner, yes Vinicius is very good but has he really been so much better to justify the fuss that's been made? And now Lautaro Martinez has come out to complain about it...he didn't seriously think he was in with a chance, did he!?
i think martinez has a point in this sense: traditionslly it has often gone to a player who won or was outstanding at the European Championship or World cup (because it was originally a European award). But now it is global, what about Copa America? Argentina won, Martinez top scorer, scored in final, good season.. yet nowhere near the top. It seems to put the European championship way above Copa America.. which might or might not be fair, but I can understand why some take exception to it.
Well there is going to be European bias, with the way the voting system is set up. It's votes from 100 journalists, one from each of the top 100 FIFA ranked countries, there's 41 European votes and 20 votes from South and North America combined so naturally there's going to be more emphasis placed on the Euros over other continental trophies. Ultimately, it's historically a European award, and only admitted players playing outside European clubs from 2007, but the award's only as prestigious as people want to value it.
That is how it is i agree, but some say that’s wrong. For a long time non Europeans were ineligible, even if playing in Europe, like Maradona. However, as soon as it was expanded to non Europeans playing in Europe, Weah won. Since Weah, half have been non European of birth so I don’t think the Eurocentric bias is as clear today. Maybe it is time to take Copa America seriously too?
I presume the South American media voted for their own countrymen so cannot really complain about bias?
It is quite crazy that Rodri won the Ballon D'Or but he didn't even make the shortlist for Premier League Player of the Year...
I think international football sways the Ballon D'Or more than you think Same with the African POTY, Mo Salah doesnt even make the top 10, instead several players that youve barely heard of, one that only played 7 league games are in the top 10 because their sides did ok in the AFCON. International football on a whole seems to be getting more and more pushed on us.
Look back over the past 70 years you wally! It frequently goes to a player in the workd cup winning team or european championship winning team when those are on! It isnt a recent thing you fool!
