FIFA have announced the shortlist for the 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or, or simply the best player in a calendar year.
France Football introduced the Ballon d’Or in 1956 to honour the European footballer of the year. In 2007 the award became a world player award and three years later it merged with Fifa’s own world player honour.
This year the three making the final cut, are Lionel Messi, Frank Ribery, and Cristiano Ronaldo. This does not come as a surprise.
A number of high profile players were dropped off, in the likes of Gareth Bale, Radamel Falcao, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar etc.
The winners, to be announced at a ceremony in Zurich, will be decided by a vote among the captains and head coaches of all Fifa-affiliated men’s national teams, as well as by international media representatives selected by France Football magazine.
Messi has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the last four times, which in itself is a record, however, injury has plagued the little maestro in the 2013 calendar year. He has still scored 37 goals in 34 games, a ratio of 1.09 per game and has 11 assists over the 34 games, meaning a ratio of 0.32 per game.
Furthermore, Messi has won the Spanish Super Cup and the Spanish League. Another important fact remains in favour of Messi who was the only player to have scored in every game in the 2012/13 Spanish league season.
Second up is Cristiano Ronaldo. He last won the FIFA player award in 2008 on the back off Manchester United winning the Champions league in Moscow. He is the favourite according to the bookies.
Ronaldo has scored 51 goals in 41 matches and has a ratio of 1.24 per game and he had 12 assists to his name, over the 41 games, which gives a ratio of 0.29 per game. Whilst his ratio of goals per game is better than Messi, he has a lower assist ratio than Messi and most importantly, his biggest drawback is that he has not won any trophies with Real Madrid, unlike Messi and Ribery.
Our final shortlisted candidate is Frank Ribery. The French man has scored 15 goals in 37 games and has a ratio of 0.41 per game, well below that of Messi and Ronaldo. However, he had 15 assists in 37 games, making his ratio 0.41 per game, which is far better that of Messi or Ronaldo.
Ribery’s strength is that Bayern Munich has won the Champions League, German League, German Cup and UEGA Super Cup, which can be matched by neither Messi nor Ronaldo.
On the trophies alone, Frank should win outright, however, as the old saying goes, the FIFA Ballon d’Or is an individual effort and not based on team success.
How you separately measure the individual performance which contributed to the team’s success is one that cannot be easily answered.
One thing that might play an important part in deciding who wins the Ballon d’ Or for the best of 2013 is how the three nominees faired for their national teams, considering World Cup qualification and the focus shifting from club football to national team.
Messi was instrumental in getting Argentina qualify as the top finishers from South America and in the process got a bag of goals, overall he finished as the second top scorer in the South American qualifiers.
Frank Ribery, helped France win their play-offs against Ukraine and in the process get France into the World Cup finals. However, it was Ronaldo’s performance against Sweden, scoring all 4 goals for Portugal which won him global accolade. He single handily dragged Portugal into the World Cup to Brazil.
Come January 13 2014, we will know who has won the FIFA Ballon d’Or, however, who do you think should win, based on the 2013 calendar form, who for you was the best player in the world.
Can Messi win in for the fifth time and break all records again, or will it be a double for Frank Ribery, first the UEFA best player this year and now the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner or would it be Ronaldo’s second after 2008. Surely they would not dare to break the commander’s heart, would they?
marz
Guest
Look... messi is the greatest player to ever play football. no doubt. but i think ronaldo should win this year. messi is fron another planet. but he has had to many injuries. messi has won it 4 years iba row so he is the greatest of all time! but ronaldo is up there. so he should win this year. but messi still the greates! ( MESSI WILL WIN IN 2015!!!! )
Eddy Bramley
Roar Pro
Ronaldo, no doubt
Lawrence
Guest
RIBERY: A strong player and the key to his club's and national team's victories and achievements this year. His award for the European Player of the Year obviously cancels out Ronaldo's chances of winning, even though the Portuguese man is still the favourite. RONALDO: Much like Ribery, a strong player, yet a goalscorer with amazing skill. With Ribery's award for European Player of the Year, I believe that Ronaldo does not have a chance this year. He even has scored and assisted more on a better ratio than any of the other players. MESSI: My favourite player. His skill, his tricks and his teamwork all combine to make a legendary player. But most of all, his uniqueness. the four-time champion was the singular, most-powerful force that has pushed both Barcelona & Argentina forward during the qualifying (Argentina) and the UEFA Champions League (Barcelona). My bets (and hopes) are on MESSI, Lionel.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Good point. None of them except Del Piero have won the Alex Tobin Medal either. Does that mean they didn't have great careers??
Jayden
Guest
Beckham, Guti, Casillas, Buffon, Henry, Del Piero, Totti, Trautmann, maradona, Khan and numerous others have never won one Did they still have great careers?
Jayden
Guest
Not Ronaldo? In reference to Brazilia, when he had the ball he could work miracles
adrian
Guest
One question is where will messi and ronaldo be remembered in history
jules kettelin
Guest
Ronaldo , I sure know you will get it .
jules kettelin
Guest
I am sure know , Ronaldo will get it. The reason why, they can not give it to Messi this time, Ribery behind Ronaldo . RONALDO OR FIFA KEEP IT .
Zee
Roar Guru
This Ronaldo Vs Messi debate can go in for centuries We all love our respective players and have stern reasons for why we think they are the best... the whole Pele Vs Maradona Debate repeating itself
Adrian
Roar Pro
Hugo, mate your comments drive me to say being portugese you sound bias towards ur country men, Messi has proven playing for argentina he can do it.
Steve
Guest
Silly me, of course Ronaldo does it on his own. No Ozil, di Maria, Bale, Isco, Modric...
Adrian
Guest
Zee, how can you can ronaldo does it on his own and Messi, doesnt, you need to only see Messi's goals, both for Argentina and Barcelona, to see how his free-kicks and individual runs get wins, if i start making a list of those individual runs,....the list will contain 100's of goals...give due where it deserves...
Hugo
Guest
Doesnt matter who wins it. The fame goes to them what is more important is what they do for club and country. I mean there is alot more players out there who deserve it. Im a true ronaldo fan only cause im portuguese but we have to take in consideration that both Ronaldo and Ribery have played for different clubs and shown themselves to fit in. Messi on the otherhand has only played for one club. So it makes you wonder can he be good in other club e.g messi playing for Manchester I dont think so. Anyways hope Portugal go far in World Cup and Hope Australia can mix it with the best.
Zee
Roar Guru
Haha do you really not believe in the corruption, bias and political hoohaa that goes on? You think Blatter wouldn't change a result if he didn't feel like he like that person? I don't exclude Bambi, I just think that Ronaldo has been more devastating for club and country. Messi may have won more and scored more goals, but would that be the case if Xavi/Iniesta weren't providing him with the goods? Ronaldo does it on his own.
adrian
Guest
Sabella has publicly announced he voted for messi
AZ_RBB
Guest
Zlatan only cares about Zlatan.
adrian
Guest
Zlatan said last week that he does not care about ballondor he also said that it does matter for some.....did he mean frank...messi...or ronaldo
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Plus this year we 2 players in the league of the greatests, i.e. Maradona, Pele, Zidane etc, something we don't always have AND a guy just slightly below these 2 who had a massive year on his own, Ribery. Remember Cannavaro was once Ballon d'Or, please.... So yes, I think its a very tough one. My heart is obviously for Ribery but I reckon Ronaldo deserves it a tiny bit more than the other 2.
adrian
Guest
Did the fifa extension of the voting for the ballondor help ronaldo....this does play in favor of ronaldo