CrimeaPRESS reports:
Over the past decade and a half, the presentation of the Ballon d’Or has become a platform for holi-wars between fans of Ronaldo and Messi, but times are changing and the two geniuses have faded into the background. Of the last four winners of the award, three no longer compete in Europe. And many are frankly tired of watching the same people being awarded. This year, Manchester City dominated in club football, and according to the laws of the genre, the main individual prize should be taken by the city’s most productive player, Erling Goland, but it was Lionel Messi who took it. How high his chances of winning the award were could be tracked Here.
Is this fair?
You can compare the presentation of the “Golden Ball” with the “Oscar” award, when the award is not always won by the highest box office, but by the one that fits the concept of the award. The World Cup has always been extremely important in determining the winner.
The diminutive genius fully deserves a record eighth Ballon d’Or despite a disappointing 2022/23 season at club level:
It has been an absolute privilege to watch Lionel Messi for almost two decades. Moment after moment of mesmerizing, breathtaking football. He is a gift from the football gods. I’m so glad he won the top prize in our sport. Gracias y felicidades, Campeon.
Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker has always been a strong supporter of Messi, to the extent that some critics have accused him of bias in his reporting as a BBC Sport presenter. But his tribute to the Argentina captain on social media after the World Cup final was perfect.
It was impossible not to feel emotional watching Messi lift the only trophy that had eluded him for so long in Qatar. He failed against Argentina in the 2014 finals and has struggled with the weight of huge expectations on the international stage since he made his debut as a long-haired teenager nine years ago.
Until 1995, no non-Europeans could receive the award, so many major players, including heroes of world championships, were left without “ZM”. But the same Paolo Rossi in 1982 or Matthäus in 1990 received their prizes for performances at the world championship. If not for this rule, then in 1986 Igor Belanov would definitely have lost to Diego Maradona, but his goals for the USSR national team also had a significant impact on the choice of France Football. More recent examples: Ronaldo in 2002, Cannavaro in 2006. Both did not have outstanding club seasons, but the World Cup ensured their victory.
True, Messi himself broke this tradition when he took the prize in 2010, beating World Cup winners Xavi and Iniesta, as well as Wesley Sneijder, who had a wonderful World Cup, lost in the final and won the treble with Inter. This season, his main competitor also took the treble.
As for Messi, there is nothing to say — he truly was the best football player in Qatar, and with his role for the team and influence on the game he showed that such dominance has not been seen for a very long time. Messi is the first to score a goal+assist in three World Cup matches since 1966.
Leo became the first in the goal+pass system in the history of the World Cup (13+8). Messi is the first player in history to score in all stages of the tournament (group stage, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and final) in one championship. He won the man of the match award five times, which is also a record. He is the oldest player to score a double in the final and the oldest player to score 5 goals at the World Cup.
If you choose the most striking individual performance of the season, then the month in Qatar from the Argentine was just that. Messi consciously let himself down mentally and his body for this tournament, which we saw in the second part of the season. The Ligue 1 title hardly adds many points to victory.
The problem is that this speech is perceived by many as something from the distant past. The tournament was played when the season was just gaining momentum, and there were several months left before the key matches in the Champions League. Now Messi is more associated with the Beckham crowd in Miami than with a football player who had a strong season. If the tournament had been held in the summer, provided that Leo would have played it the same way, then the perception would have been somewhat different, you will agree.
Although Messi’s statistics are truly amazing: he scored 67 goals for the club and national team, which is even one more than Haaland had last season. He has a 7.86 GPA—no player has had more.
In terms of actions leading to shots on the opponent’s goal, he ranks second among the top leagues in Europe, behind Bruno Fernandes. During the season, he made 35 actions that led to a goal against rival PSG — the most in Europe. Messi has made 102 successful dribbles in the championship. It took him an average of 89 minutes to score for the Parisians last season – 21 goals and 21 assists.
Any questions?
No questions.
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