Messi
Merciless Lionel Messi Won The 2015 Ballon D’or Award
Lionel Messi did it again despite the late injury he picked up last year, with speculation that it might affect his vote for the 2015 Ballon d’or, received the award, smiling with a wonderful speech in Zurich.
When Kaka scooped the 2007 Ballon d’Or amid his career zenith at AC Milan, the Brazil midfielder was the 10th winner of football’s most prestigious individual prize in as many years.
For a decade, the contest was wide open as modern greats such as Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho enjoyed 12 months to savour before the spotlight inevitably moved on.
The Ballon d’Or was not something to battle for or defend like a league title; it was a bonus – a warmly received tip of the hat for dazzling the game you cherished.
The men ranked second and third behind Kaka in 2007 – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – would change all that but, following Messi’s coronation as the world’s greatest player for a fifth time, their rivalry, undoubtedly the greatest individual tete-a-tete the sport has ever seen, coming to an end?
Ronaldo is a month away from his 31st birthday and the mazy dribbles, the lung-bursting surges into the area and the mesmerising stepovers are starting to gradually recede in number.
He may not play as a standard centre forward at Real Madrid but his movement is akin to one – complementing the more mobile Karim Benzema.
He is becoming more and more an out-and-out goalscorer and less of an all-round attacking threat.
In his defence, the statistics stack up for now – 54 goals in all competitions for Madrid in 2015 is testament to his ability to still cut it – but it is obvious that a player with a diminishing skill-set can only go one way.
The same cannot be said for Messi.
At 28, he has a couple more years on his side and, more importantly, has not had to modify his game. He plays in the same swashbuckling way he did when he made his Barca debut in 2004.
He remains the best player in the best team in the world and the cornerstone of a Barca side that could, quite conceivably, complete back-to-back La Liga and Champions League successes.
If that scenario does transpire then Neymar and Luis Suarez will be key contenders in 2016, not to mention the rapidly developing Paul Pogba, whose France side host the European Championship.
If it is to be an end to the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly then what a wonderful tussle it has been.
Ronaldo graduated from runner-up to first-time winner in 2008 ahead of Messi, who completed a climb from third to first the following year as he inspired Barcelona to an historic Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble.
By that stage, Ronaldo had swapped Manchester United for Real Madrid. The two greatest players in the world featuring on either side of club football’s most historically bitter rivalry leant a razor-sharp edge to their personal duel.
Both men have inspired loyalties beyond the tribal Barca-Madrid divide, with their undisputed brilliance coming in highly contrasting forms.
Messi, the diminutive artist with the velvet touch and beguiling close control – as likely to craft and finish one of Barcelona’s delightful passing moves as he is to sashay beyond a posse of defenders and impishly lob the goalkeeper.
Ronaldo, the epitome of the 21st century athlete-footballer sprinkled liberally with the magic of yesterday’s heroes. An irresistible powerhouse on the field, scything through beleaguered defences and a rare constant among Madrid’s raft of Galacticos.
Pundits and fans arguing either player’s superiority can cling to the Ballon d’Or – the glitzy gala turned entrenched battle line.
Messi retained his 2009 gong for the next three years, with Andres Iniesta in 2010 the only time Ronaldo was not runner-up.
Ronaldo’s reaction to beating his most esteemed contemporary into second place over the past two years was telling – 2013’s tears followed by a guttural roar last time around. To him, this is more than a simple awards night.
Starring in such close proximity at Madrid and Barcelona and turning the Ballon d’Or into an annual bout of one v one means that, as an individual rivalry, the battle between Ronaldo and Messi is unmatched in football history.
Debates over whether Pele or Diego Maradona is the greatest player to have laced boots are complicated by them having played in different eras.
Perhaps the closest comparison to Messi and Ronaldo, certainly in terms of Ballon d’Or domination, comes from Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer.
Cruyff’s run of 1971, 1973 and 1974 wins was interrupted by the great German, who was runner-up in 1974 and 1975 before winning again the following year.
READ MORE @ FOUR FOUR TWO
your comment might make someone's day
Pingback: citalopram prices
Pingback: where to buy cephalexin
Pingback: where to buy priligy online
Pingback: cialis samples for physicians office
Pingback: price of tadalafil 20mg
Pingback: cialis rx coupon
Pingback: lamotrigine 200 mg usa
Pingback: terbinafine over the counter
Pingback: digoxin 0.25mg canada
Pingback: discount on vidalista
Pingback: cheapest levothyroxine mcg
Pingback: can i buy amoxicillin over the counter uk
Pingback: lasix medication
Pingback: buy azithromycin online cheap
Pingback: stromectol online
Pingback: where to buy gemfibrozil
Pingback: how to purchase metoprolol
Pingback: tetracycline in pregnancy
Pingback: doxycycline warnings
Pingback: clotrimazole coupon
Pingback: prednisolone pediatric dosing
Pingback: clomid iui twins
Pingback: buy priligy
Pingback: diflucan drug interactions
Pingback: armor synthroid
Pingback: metoclopramide 10 mg no prescription
Pingback: master thesis writing service
Pingback: vidalista for high blood pressure
Pingback: essay writers online
Pingback: cialis 20mg pills
Pingback: dissertation ideas
Pingback: finasteride vs propecia
Pingback: india pharmacy hydroxychloroquine
Pingback: vidalista without dr prescription
Pingback: mexican amoxicillin 500 mg safe
Pingback: single dapoxetine pills for sale
Pingback: generic viagra 100mg best price
Pingback: cialis with dapoxetine to buy uk
Pingback: neurontin lawsuits
Pingback: how many vidalista per prescription
Pingback: metformin coronavirus
Pingback: plaquenil financial assistance
Pingback: cialis price nz
Pingback: canadapharmacy
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine mechanism of action
Pingback: ivermectol 12
Pingback: best pharmacy prices for cialis
Pingback: cialis cost at cvs pharmacy
Pingback: cialis best price online
Pingback: zovirax 800 mg price
Pingback: furosemide tab 20mg cost
Pingback: buying cialis with dapoxetine
Pingback: amoxicillin manufacturer's website
Pingback: 20mg for sale
Pingback: what is metronidazole 500 mg
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine sulfate for sale
Pingback: tadalafil 5 mg lowest price
Pingback: payday loan elkhart
Pingback: what happens when a girl takes viagra
Pingback: tadalafil 5mg
Pingback: does homemade careprost really work
Pingback: cialis and back pain
Pingback: buy real ativan online
Pingback: cialis black 800 to buy in the uk one pill
Pingback: generic tadalafil vidalista 40 mg
Pingback: metronidazole 500mg expired
Pingback: buy hydroxychloroquine uk
Pingback: zithromax 1500 mg
Pingback: real tadalafil pills
Pingback: where can i get generic cialis
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine success with covid 19
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine sulfate benefits
Pingback: ivermectin for heartworms
Pingback: cytotmeds.com
Pingback: dog withdrawal from prednisone
Pingback: proair inhaler vs albuterol
Pingback: plaquenil maculopathy oct
Pingback: viagra soft sale
Pingback: dapoxetine 30mg 1mg
Pingback: price of hydroxychloroquine 200 mg
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine cure covid
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine dose for children
Pingback: is tamoxifen photosensitive
Pingback: campicillin generic
Pingback: cialis viagra online
Pingback: over the counter viagra substitute cvs
Pingback: chicago viagra triangle
Pingback: https://regcialist.com
Pingback: how much ivermectil is safe
Pingback: amoxicillin 500 mg side effects
Pingback: priligy brand name
Pingback: what is a normal dose of sildenafil
Pingback: is atorvastatin a blood thinner
Pingback: prilosec long term side effects
Pingback: ivermectin 6mg capsule
Pingback: ivermectin capsule
Pingback: lyrica 75 mg capsule
Pingback: best time to take lexapro
Pingback: sildenafil 20 mg
Pingback: sildenafil 50mg
Pingback: viagra online canadian pharmacy
Pingback: generic fildena manufacturers by country
Pingback: viagra online cheap
Pingback: free viagra
Pingback: 20mg cialis daily
Pingback: free cialis
Pingback: lexapro while pregnant
Pingback: 20 mg cialis for daily use
Pingback: cialis pills for sale
Pingback: buy viagra
Pingback: tadalafil 10 mg
Pingback: buying viagra online
Pingback: plaquenil 200 mg cost
Pingback: buy generic viagra
Pingback: cialis 10 mg daily use
Pingback: cheap generic viagra
Pingback: can i buy viagra otc
Pingback: cialis with no prescrption
Pingback: buy viagra over the counter in australia
Pingback: azithromycin 500 for chlamydia
Pingback: amoxil online in the usa
Pingback: buy cialis online cheap
Pingback: canada viagra
Pingback: order viagra
Pingback: can you buy propecia in canada
Pingback: cialisaoe.com
Pingback: prednisone uk buy
Pingback: viagra pill
Pingback: ordering generic sildenafil
Pingback: online pharmacy cialis
Pingback: sildenafil tablets
Pingback: stromectol staph
Pingback: ivermectin for corona
Pingback: generic viagra fast delivery
Pingback: canadian pharmacy online tadalafil
Pingback: can i buy viagra over the counter in india
Pingback: ivermectin toxicity canine
Pingback: stromectol 6 price
Pingback: cialis tadalafil 20mg
Pingback: ivermectin tablets
Pingback: zithramax 1 gram oral packet
Pingback: viagra for sale us
Pingback: ventolin hfa 90 mcg inhaler
Pingback: pfizer otc viagra
Pingback: ivermectin lotion over the counter
Pingback: order online viagra in america with no prescription
Pingback: viagra tablets price
Pingback: where to buy cialis
Pingback: generic cialis
Pingback: treating heartworms with ivermectin
Pingback: can you get a yeast infection from zithromax
Pingback: what the best place to buy viagra online
Pingback: humans antiparasitic for syphilis
Pingback: viagra alternatives
Pingback: sildenafil 20mg
Pingback: does lisinopril harm the kidneys
Pingback: use of ivermectin in humans
Pingback: generic viagra india
Pingback: dapoxetine daily dose
Pingback: stromectol usa
Pingback: why does aurogra stop working
Pingback: cipro prescription dosage
Pingback: ivermectin dosage for head lice
Pingback: clomiphene online
Pingback: order amoxil
Pingback: lasix tablets uk
Pingback: neurontin prices
Pingback: uses for plaquenil
Pingback: prednisone 80 mg
Pingback: instant natural viagra
Pingback: priligy price usa
Pingback: modafinil price
Pingback: hydroxychloroquine 200 mg for sale
Pingback: ivermectin 6
Pingback: combivent for asthma
Pingback: zithromax buying
Pingback: furosemide cost price
Pingback: sildenafil
Pingback: stromectol canada for sale
Pingback: buy viagra cheap
Pingback: alternative to viagra
Pingback: tadalafil generic in usa
Pingback: azithromycin 500 mg
Pingback: viagra boys
Pingback: over the counter viagra in us
Pingback: where to buy tadalafil or viagra
Pingback: viagra substitute
Pingback: cialis viagra
Pingback: viagra generic
Pingback: women viagra
Pingback: viagra pornhub
Pingback: ivermectin buy
Pingback: tadalafil
Pingback: https://mobviagrweb.com/
Pingback: what is better viagra or cialis or levitra??
Pingback: buy generic cialis daily
Pingback: aralen oct
Pingback: olumiant 2 mg
Pingback: 12mg tizanidine
Pingback: latisse price
Pingback: buy nolvadex uk
Pingback: aralen
Pingback: buy ivermectin pills
Pingback: ivermectin lotion
Pingback: where to buy ivermectin
Pingback: ivermectin 2%
Pingback: ivermectin cream 1%
Pingback: canada cialis pills
Pingback: sildenafil citrate for sale
Pingback: dexis ivermectin
Pingback: cialis reviews
Pingback: cialis original
Pingback: where to buy cialis without prescription
Pingback: cheap sildenafil online in usa
Pingback: buy cialis canada
Pingback: where can i buy generic cialis
Pingback: ivermectine kopen
Pingback: sildenafil tablets for men
Pingback: sildenafil tablets
Pingback: cialis tadalafil
Pingback: where to buy cialis otc
Pingback: buy prednisone tablets
Pingback: cheap prednisone online
Pingback: merck pill
Pingback: tadalafil walmart
Pingback: cialis generika
Pingback: stromectol usa
Pingback: prednisone side effects in women
Pingback: how to purchase viagra tablet
Pingback: cialis best price
Pingback: online casino real money usa
Pingback: cialis tadalafil
Pingback: ivermectin syrup
Pingback: stromectol covid 19
Pingback: cost of ivermectin
Pingback: casino games real money
Pingback: buy cialis online
Pingback: womens viagra
Pingback: buy cialis online
Pingback: ivermectina piojos
Pingback: does ivermectin work
Pingback: ivermectin 3mg
Pingback: cialis online
Pingback: tadalafil
Pingback: ivermectin generic
Pingback: stromectol for sale
Pingback: buy lasix tablets india
Pingback: furosemide 80 mg tablet
Pingback: ivermectin fda
Pingback: where to buy stromectol online
Pingback: who makes ivermectin
Pingback: stromectol 15 mg
Pingback: buy ivermectin cream
Pingback: lucky land casino
Pingback: ivermectin from india
Pingback: push health ivermectin
Pingback: ivermectin 4 mg
Pingback: ivermectin for covid
Pingback: ivermectin australia over the counter
Pingback: ivermectine
Pingback: ivermectin 3mg
Pingback: ivermectin 1 cream 45gm
Pingback: buy viagra online
Pingback: where to buy ivermectin in canada
Pingback: stromectol medicine
Pingback: ivermectin 1%cream
Pingback: ivermectin 50
Pingback: 2despicable
Pingback: where to buy ivermectin cream
Pingback: buy propecia dublin
Pingback: propecia cheapest online