For the past five years, the same debate has raged tiresomely: who is better, Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?
By now football fans should have adjusted to the fact that both are equally as good, despite their footballing and personality differences.
While the debate will never settle, the respectful conclusion should be to respect each player for what they bring to the world game.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a powerful athlete and is physically perfect for the modern game. The ambidextrous Ronaldo is blessed with speed, tricks (just see his back heel rainbow kick and subsequent goal in the El Clasico, making light work of Pique), phenomenal goal-scoring ability, a brilliant header and is a consummate professional who has only improved since his dominating days at Manchester United.
Lionel Messi is a wizard, of that much I am convinced. His dribbling ability, magnetic feet and ability to duck and weave into tight spaces, does not so much rip apart defences, it opens them up.
He doesn’t speed his way past them like Ronaldo, but somehow manages to expose the little space afforded to him and make the keeper suffer. If Ronaldo is the terminator, then Messi is the wizard.
This year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or will be a tight race, and for an organisation seen as less than transparent in recent times, one has to ask the question of its voting procedures should Ronaldo not win it after last season’s record breaking run.
Despite breaking goal scoring records and performing admirably in his second season with Real Madrid, he lost out to Messi who performed slightly inferior individually, but was a part of the winning team in the 2010-2011 season.
The recent 2011-2012 season saw Ronaldo score slightly less than Messi individually, but perform exceptionally well in the winning Madrid side, who broke the record for the most number of points accumulated in a single season.
While this writer believes Ronaldo should be treated the same, voting-wise, as Messi was previously, Messi winning for scoring more goals would be inconsistent with the approach to the 2010-2011 season.
So whether you agree or disagree with Ronaldo or Messi winning it, one needs to ask FIFA if the award is truly a measure of a football player’s individual season, or if it is a mere popularity contest. If it is indeed the measure of an individual season, then perhaps the team’s overall performance should hold less weight, and players such as Xavi, Ibrahimovic and Casillas should have a better chance to win.
The fact that neither Diego Milito or Wesley Sneijder won it during their World Cup and treble winning seasons says more about the voting criteria being a popularity contest, than it does a true measure of individual success.
FIFA needs to ensure that no matter who wins it this year, that transparency and objective evaluation of a player’s season takes priority, including the circumstances in which they performed. That way, players would not need to be signed to multi-billion dollar teams to have a running chance, and could prove themselves in less financially strong environments.
My vote goes to Ronaldo, for he scored at an alarming rate alongside Benzema and Higuain, and has been doing so seamlessly with Real Madrid ever since he made the switch.
He deserves it. A versatile, powerful and already-legendary player, despite some sections of the media stating he is arrogant (more of a myth now than anything), he should be judged as a footballer. After all, isn’t that what the FIFA Ballon d’Or is all about?
If we risk taking personality into account, then we lose what soul sport has left. The true measurement of success is created on the pitch, not in the media rooms and interviews.
Who do you think should win it? Ronaldo, Messi, or another outstanding player?
Hama70
Guest
As for me cr7 is very good player who has everything to be named best player of the year,an nt condeming messi but ronaldo is a fantastic player.
Nasir
Guest
ever Cr7 knows d difference
david olawale
Guest
Ballon d'Or is not giving based on goals but better trophy,contribution and goals. To me Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the ballon d'Or for this 2011/2012 forget sentiment
david olawale
Guest
To say the fact Christian Ronaldo deserve the ballon d'Or for this 2011/2012. 68 goals of Messi does not mean that he deserve world best but he only set record which other player do more better because football is all about form. Ronaldo 60 goals with trophy, messi could not manage to win laliga,10 against 11 bacelona and chelsea they could not manage to win comparing to madrid against bayern that ended penalty, of course penalty is a game of luck. To be sincere Christian Ronaldo deserve it. At least he had prove himself from premiership to laliga. He deserve the ballon d'Or pls dnt let us put sentiment or because of likeness and give 1st position. to 2nd ,pls reason well and dnt hatred because arrogant of Ronaldo every player have their style of play and pattern. Thank you
qais ronaldo
Guest
in my tought messi is just player but cristiano ronaldo the best player with defrint style better goooles no one is compering his self with ronaldo7 he is stronger than messi and another players like argintina coach maradona ,pale, mule he is faster in all players in the balone d or is perfict for ronaldo7 qais ronaldo7
Sowole femi
Guest
To me messi deserve to win it all and over again becos ronaldo could nt help his club 2 d top of the league or even help his country 2 cary the euro's 2012 this year
BM Al Amin
Guest
Messi is only one person for wining ballo d or.I think cr 7 is player but messi is life like legend,when i see that the playing power of messi compare with maradona, pale ,muller,then I am astonished that the fanatic fan of cr7 how compare with messi.Messi is only one he have no same mate.
Smokey
Guest
Pique'-Christiano Ronaldo is the best player among humans because Messi is an alien from another planet. I played with Cristiano as well in Manchester. He's a hard worker, very good, but there's nothing you can do alongside Messi"Can you say a thing about CR7 which can allow him to snatch or deserve the Ballon d’Or 2012
Sihle Dos santos
Guest
Really I agree. If they don't give him this year, they just simply don't wnat cristiano to win and they want lionel messi to just simply achieve every thing. Ronaldo has been better than him this season.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
I haven't watched as much football this year, but enjoy watching both Ronaldo and Messi whenever possible. Both amongst the best players I have ever seen, and both with a hunger for goals. I prefer to watch Messi as he has extremely good balance ; Ronaldo still has the tendency to fall over for no apparent reason, from time to time.
Elias baltazar
Guest
Ronaldo deserve to win the ballon de Oro 2012, because of what he has been wining with real since he's transfer, last year real won la liga and the super copa thanks to some of ronaldos goals and I don't understand when others says messi and barca won every title but la liga and UCL, If you think about there ain't other title left but the copa del Rey and thats the only tilte barca won some people says becuz messi won the golden boot he desrve to win the balon de or, but cristiano won the golden boot last year and didnt win the balon de oro so thats two different awards. Of course messi is a great player but FIFA and everybody that votes needs to be equal to every great players and not show favoritism to the same on....
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Different year, same topic. It seems that some people seem to believe that the Ballon d'Or is the Golden Boot.
Ejaiks Njoku
Guest
FIFA Ballon d'Or is an individual award nothing but that, since that is the case, Messi deserves it because he performed wonderfully well last season than any other player in the world which is indisputable, he broke four records in 2011-2012 season, that many great players have come and gone without breaking those records, and most of those records Messi set, i doubt if any player can break them in this generation. And right now Messi is going for another record, Pele and Gard M. record of one calender year, now he is on 74 goals of one calender year, it remains one goal to equal Pele's record of 75 goals, while it remains 11 goals to equal Gard M's. record of 85 goals in one calender year. It is a bias to say that Messi doesn't deserve 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award.
Stu
Guest
For me, Xavi is the best player in the world and has been for some time. The Ballon d'Or has become a popularity contest since it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year. The Ballon d'Or had some prestige; it rewarded performance above hype. Want proof? Andriy Shevchenko and Pavel Nedved won it following brilliant seasons, before they were widely lauded by pundits. The FIFA award has always gone to the 'flavour' of the year. Wesley Sneijder was clearly the most influential player of 2010, orchestrating his club's league, cup and European successes, as well as his country's run to the World Cup final. Diego Forlan had a similar season for Atletico Madrid and Uruguay, but neither were even in the top three - it was Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. Want more proof? Mario Balotelli is nominated among the 23 best players in the world this time around, following a reasonable year for him at club level and one good game at Euro 2012. Meanwhile, unfashionable players like Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who scored 48 goals last season, don't merit a nomination. Madness. The players who deserve recognition via these awards rarely get it.
Smokey
Guest
if the award is supposed to be given to the player who has performed the best over the previous calendar year, how can Ballon d’Or voters not select Lionel Messi—with all the records being broken and created by him this year as well as the wins he has led Barcelona to 2011/12 season—for a fourth consecutive time when the award is given out next January? Crap this oans Messi deserves it.CR7 only won 1 trophy Messi won 3 other trophys excpt CL@LC
Bobo
Guest
Mckay If Ronaldo doesn't win it, it might be because there is a better player or a player that had a better year . Going back to school days and picking your team, who would you choose for your team. I feel that Messi is a better team player with more arsenal to help you win than CR7 and that's why he will win.
Brian
Guest
I can guarantee you now that Messi will win! The award is votes of 3,2,1 from approx 600 people being the coach, captain and journalist of each national football association. So why will Messi win? 1. He is much more likeable so all those who think CR is better will still give Messi 2 votes whereas the CR haters could give 2 and 1 to a Pirlo, Iniesta etc. 2. Bigger Spanish speaking world, national captain of Beilze vote counts as much as that of Del Bosque or Prandelli 3. Messi can often look better on the highlights reel, this may sound funny but most of those voting do not live in Europe and see their these guys only on TV. Barca & Argentina are more on TV Having said all that personally would be happy for either to win, I think with Maradona they are the best 3 players of all time!
Ian
Guest
nice article. what's the all the posts above with people rambling on and not knowing how to spell? did something happen in part of Australia that i haven't heard about which caused brain explosions?
TY Bello
Guest
Kunle you are a disappointment to Nigeria with your bad english.Common,is only you epl nd Ronaldo's fan boys in Nigeria that would say Ronaldo deserves Ballon Dor.1 Messi,2 Iniesta,3 Xavi,4 Iker nd Ronaldo
Tim
Guest
Great article!!! brings up all the points i use when my friends and i argue about the BallonD'or and Messi v Ronaldo. however you left out both players national team success, with Ronaldo lifting a young portugal side to the semi finals