As we approach the announcement of the prestigious and sometimes controversial Ballon d’Or, we analyse the three finalists, Franck Ribery, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Each one of these three is clearly worthy of receiving the award, with each of them accomplishing great heights individually in 2013.
They have all achieved and suffered different fates with their teams but their individual statistics have been immense.
Franck Ribery
The reigning Bundesliga, Champions League, French and European player of the year enjoyed his best season yet. In 52 appearances the French magician contributed with 22 goals and 18 assists.
His brilliance on the ball, along with his speed and graceful turn of pace down the wing is what separates him on the pitch. His 1084 dribbles more than triples Messi, who has 331, and Ronaldo, who has 252.
His attributes were a huge catalyst to Bayern Munich’s treble-winning season.
He has proven to be the ultimate team player, with more chances created than the other two (149), along with more completed passes (2903).
He also crossed the ball 261 times, almost tripling Ronaldo at 97.
As a forward he seems to pride himself in his defence, chipping in with 49 made tackles winning 89.8% of them, with 45 interceptions.
Ribery produces consistently in defence, which is what separates him from the other two.
He is tireless all game and his fitness is second to none, often being the player who covers the most on the pitch as he tracks back and forth for 90 minutes.
His effort for the cause is unquestionable, “I have never seen a player with Ribery’s character at this level,” Pep Guardiola told Bild.
“The way he keeps fighting and running for the team is incredible; it’s an honour for me to coach Franck.”
He might not have contributed as many goals or assists but Ribery will be judged on two things, his everlasting and inspirational effort on the pitch and his achievements with Bayern Munich winning five trophies in 2013.
For Ribery, his success on the field will always be overshadowed by the star studded line-up of Bayern Munich. Undoubtedly the best team in the world, it is only right it has the best players and Ribery was their best.
Furthermore Bayern’s lower amount of TV exposure around the world could also be the reason for him not winning the trophy, along with his limited impact for the French national side.
In the end though, how can you argue awarding the Ballon d’Or to a player who won the Bundesliga, the German Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and of course the Champions League in 2013.
Lionel Messi
Vying for his fifth Ballon d’Or in a row, the little maestro’s consistent form over the years has some arguing he is the best of all time.
He is a master dribbler with blistering pace and amazing control whose vision is brilliant and whose slick passes often lead to goals.
And of course the game’s most clinical goal scorer, proven by his staggering goal tally the past five seasons.
After a lacklustre 2013 (from his standards) marred with injuries and a slight drop of form, Messi still enjoyed a season most players can only dream of.
His individual statistics for the year don’t reflect the dominance he showed in seasons past and along with Barcelona only winning one trophy (albeit the La Liga) most likely makes him the outsider for the award this year.
There are arguments other players in this calendar year had better seasons but the four-time winner is still regarded by many as the best in the world and is very deserving of a fifth.
His demeanour on and off the pitch certainly helps his cause as he finishes off one of his worst years.
After his record-winning season in 2012, which saw his goal tally past Gerd Mueller’s (85 in a calendar year), in 46 appearances he still scored a staggering 42 goals.
It’s a testament to the greatness of the Argentinean that 42 goals in a calendar year is considered a bad year. He also chipped in with 15 assists and 70 created chances.
His statistics are clearly lower than Ronaldo’s though an argument can be put that his ratio is still exceptional and the only reason why he wouldn’t gain a fifth award this year is his injury problems, missing almost two months of a season.
Furthermore the arrival of Neymar to the Nou Camp has seen his results limited to a certain degree compared to previous years.
His calm demeanour and classy behaviour both on and off the field has made him a sentimental favourite with FIFA, which some have argued has worked in his favour in recent years.
Even though he had his worst season yet, never disregard Messi for history shows incumbency alone can play a huge part in determining a winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The in-form player of 2013 has single-handedly carried Real Madrid in the last five seasons, along with his native Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo is coming off arguably his best season ever.
2013 saw a Ronaldo more determined than ever. It is well documented during the off season he was inspired and determined to have a great season. With non-stop hard work, Ronaldo has re-invented himself and become better.
At 28-years-old he is at his physical peak and by the looks of things still has room to improve.
Physically he’s the complete player – his strength, speed, balance and agility often leave defenders and coaches bewildered.
Along with his technical ability and non-stop work ethic, Ronaldo’s hunger to be the best has seen him reach individual brilliance which puts him up there as one of the best ever to lace up a pair of boots.
Statistically he has improved year by year since moving to the Real Madrid. He bagged a staggering 66 goals in just 56 games for Real and Portugal, which included several hat-tricks, along with 15 assists in 2013.
The endearing part of this statistic is how he scored his goals. Ronaldo is gifted in all ways of scoring, with all his goals coming from a mixture of headers, free-kicks, penalties, his left and right foot as well as tap ins.
His vision and ability to anticipate the ball and to be at the right place at the right time is quite exceptional, which along with his speed and balance is a recipe for disaster for opponents.
Though since his transfer from Madrid, the only trophies Ronaldo managed to win are one La liga title and a Copa Del Rey, his failure to step out of Messi’s shadow has often been caused by his team’s failure to win trophies.
In the end, as much as it is nice to get individual accolades, players are judged by the trophies they win. Look at Fabio Cannavarro, a defender winning the Ballon d’Or, justified by him winning the World Cup in 2006.
Furthermore, Ronaldo’s off-field antics, along with his on-field arrogance also has blemished his chances of winning the award in the past.
This season has seen Ronaldo use his game as a platform to prove his doubters wrong and, having successfully done so, this makes him favourite to take out this year’s award.
His maturity and leadership, especially the way he accepted the arrival of Gareth Bale, earned him the captain’s armband for a few games at Real Madrid.
Even taunts from FIFA president Sepp Blatter, perceiving him as a pretty boy and a primadonna, did not earn a reaction from Ronaldo. Instead, Ronaldo scored four goals for his native Portugal over Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden to carry his country into the World Cup.
This show of maturity and class will definitely assist in Ronaldo’s case for the award.
It will be interesting to see who wins this award.
Up until now the dominance of the two best players in the world have been consistent but could Ribery’s trophy haul in 2013 prove the end to the two’s dominance?
Ultimately we will know if the Ballon d’Or is based on trophies or statistics.
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