Ballon d'Or 2021 | Lewandowski robbed again

padzilla

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Mo Salah must have a good shout too, as much as it pains me to say it.
 

Zehner

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Everyone who thinks that this is not Ballon D'Or worthy should reevaluate their opinion, IMO. Most players don't have such a highlight reel over their career. The density of incredible plays is just far too high. Lewandowski as good as he is can't compete with this, despite playing in a better team in a worse league. When Messi is in form he's just better than everybody else - and he was in form in 2021.


IMO this debate has become far too much about goals. If people bothered watching the players they're talking about instead of building their opinion on the foundation of stat sheets, it would be much more insightful.
 

Hansinity

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Lewa should have won it in 2020. It was ridiculous to cancel the award when all the major competitions took place. However it would also be ridiculous to award him because he missed out in 2020. That would create a revolving door of "but he deserved it last year" arguments. Imo both messi and lewa would be worthy winners. I lean towards messi because of how absolutely dreadful barcelona look without him and the sensational displays at the Copa. Lewa has an amazing scoring record, but getting injured at the crucial stage of the season and a lack of contribution in the Euros hurts his chance.
I agree with all you said , but Lewy really tried his best at Euros. He scored 3 goals in a weak Polish squad and because of him they nearly made it in the next round.
 

Iker Quesadillas

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Most players don't have such a highlight reel over their career.
Does this video have highlights of all the important games in which he didn't do much of anything?
IMO this debate has become far too much about goals.
Yes, but in favor of Messi.
The pro-Messi argument right now relies on numbers, because numbers hide the fact that Messi can't do wonderful things when it matters anymore. He used to be a complete nightmare to any top team, and he simply wasn't last season.
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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Would love a 2021 highlight of Messi walking on the pitch, not tracking back when he loses the ball, and being anonymous as his Barca side get hammered by PSG in their own stadium.

Football isn't about highlights. Lewandowski has everything over Messi in 2021.
 

Galactic

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Is the gong decided over who really deserves it? It’s still votes by captains and national managers innit?
 

Galactic

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No, think that's Fifa best award. It's just journalists these days.
Ballon d’Or 2021: how does voting work?
Originally voted for by journalists since its conception in 1956, in 2007 the structure of the award was changed to include voting from coaches and captains of national teams around the world, at which point the prize also became open to all players globally rather than just those playing in European leagues – though it has never been won by a player playing outside of Europe.
Each national coach, captain and journalist picks their top three players from the calendar year. The votes are added up, with three points awarded for a top pick, two for a second pick and one point for a third pick.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Ballon d’Or 2021: how does voting work?
Originally voted for by journalists since its conception in 1956, in 2007 the structure of the award was changed to include voting from coaches and captains of national teams around the world, at which point the prize also became open to all players globally rather than just those playing in European leagues – though it has never been won by a player playing outside of Europe.
Each national coach, captain and journalist picks their top three players from the calendar year. The votes are added up, with three points awarded for a top pick, two for a second pick and one point for a third pick.
From wikipedia? That just hasn't been updated to include a return to the journalists from 2016 onwards?
 

hasanejaz88

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When does voting actually happen, or when is the deadline to vote? I find it hard to imagine that this award is always labeled for the 'calendar year' when voting is done in October I think.

Why can't they just gave voting in December and announce it on January.
 

Nonameboy

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Lewandowski was robbed last year due to covid and this year he will be robbed again cause the all thing is rigged.

Ive heard reports that Benzema will finish second . If Messi winning is bad then Benzema finishing ahead of Lewandowsky is simply outrageous.

Btw they might as well change the name of the award to the La Liga Ballon Dor cause it seems that only players from that league win it.

Also lets be honest here nobody ever gave a shit about the Copa America before not the fans and not the people who vote for this like the journalists. Now that Messi finally won the Copa its like the be all end all of trophies its like all of a sudden its just as important as the Euros and The WC when it was never the case before Messi won it.

I swear that if Messi one day moves to Argentina and wins the Copa Libertadores playing for an Argentinian club people who never cared about it will start saying its at the same level as the UCL and that Messi should win the Ballon Dor cause of that title.

Xavi and Iniesta won the same things at Barcelona that Messi won when the three were all there but Xavi and Iniesta both won two euros and a WC and hiw manny ballon dors did they win? Zero..but now the main reason they will give it to Messi is cause of the Copa America.

This means that Messi winning the copa America is better than Xavi and Iniesta winning two euros and one WC.

And before anyone say that im pro Ronaldo like Messi fanboys usually say when someone criticizes their idol theres also been instances where Ronaldo shouldnt have won either like that year when Ribery won everything with Bayern and was the stand out player of that team.

Sorry for the long rant but the all thing is rigged and its all politics and a popularity contest .we as fans should stop caring about these type of awards cause its all a joke.
 

Zehner

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Does this video have highlights of all the important games in which he didn't do much of anything?

Yes, but in favor of Messi.
The pro-Messi argument right now relies on numbers, because numbers hide the fact that Messi can't do wonderful things when it matters anymore. He used to be a complete nightmare to any top team, and he simply wasn't last season.
It was only an important game when you lost it I suppose :)

Moreover, I think if you want to argue Lewandowski deserves it, you shouldn't bring up "important games" since Lewandowski spent the last 7 years playing for Bayern Munich, a club that's almost guaranteed to win their domest league every year.


Would love a 2021 highlight of Messi walking on the pitch, not tracking back when he loses the ball, and being anonymous as his Barca side get hammered by PSG in their own stadium.

Football isn't about highlights. Lewandowski has everything over Messi in 2021.
So I guess we should strip the lazy fraud of his other Ballon D'Ors as well? Especially if you compare him to the absolute work horse that Lewandowski is.

Either way, if you watch every minute of both their football years 2021, it's clear that Messi is better. It is boring, it has been like that for over a decade, people want change but it is still true. Messi in form is ahead of everyone else. And Messi was in form in 2021, like it or not. Frustrating for Lewandowski since he's incredible himself but he's simply not Messi.
 

Sarni

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Lewa would a very worthy winner, has more goals, but those acting like Messi winning would be blasphemy are way off the mark:

What about progressive passes, carrying? Through balls? Chances created? Key passes? Chances creates from passes, fouls won, dribbles, shots?


Here I already looked at their underlying stats since last season for a different comment :


Let's see from FBref (only league + CL since last season since FBref doesn't sort stats yearly but that actually works in Lewa's favour since Messi didn't have the best first half of season last time either)


Messi have 2100 more passes completed (3084 vs 982) (89% completed vs 81%)


Messi have 18xA with 17 assists and Lewa has 7.7xA with 13 assists so Lewy's teammates are overperforming with regards to his assists.


Messi has more live passes, FKs, deadballs, more through balls (35 to 7)


Messi has 6.82 SCA per 90 to 2.81 for Lewy (379 vs 146 in total)


Messi has more passes, more dribbles (48 to 13), more free kicks won all leading to a shot than Lewy.


More GCA too 1.01 vs 0.65 per 90


239 completed dribbles to 47 (65% vs 56.6%)


3768 vs 1251 progressive carries


20747 yards carried vs 6318 yards. (tot distance carried)


12869 vs 3087 progressive distance carried in yard


More carries into final 3rd and into 18 yard box
What about most headed goals, most headers, most touches in the opponents box with the head, most goals scored in games scored against team with ‘burg’ in their name, most goals scored after assist from German players and most miles traveled across Eastern Europe though? You are literally comparing all stats where Lewandowski would not only lose out to Messi but basically any midfielder/playmaker in Europe. He is not there to ‘win free kicks’ or ‘make progressive passes’. It’s a pointless comparison.

Messi wins it by default because he’s Messi, from a Polish fan point of view it’s just disappointing that our best player ever happened to play in the same era as Messi/Ronaldo hence he will never win any individual award. Not that it is that important, just annoying. He wouldn’t have won in 2020 either even if they hadn’t cancelled it, they would have given it to Messi as well.
 

Zehner

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What about most headed goals, most headers, most touches in the opponents box with the head, most goals scored in games scored against team with ‘burg’ in their name, most goals scored after assist from German players and most miles traveled across Eastern Europe though?
Let's stick with relevant stats.
 

Revan

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Poor Lewandowski. Has clearly been the best player in the world for the last two years, and instead of having two Ballon D'ors and being cemented in history as one of the greats of all time, will have none.
 

genardk

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Utter drivel.



MOTM awards? :lol:
You do not win Ballon D'or by just winning Bundesiga, a one-team league that Bayern has been winning 9 years in a row :lol: :lol:
Yeah, farmers league. If you are calling Ligue 1 (5th ranked) a farmers league, then so is Bundesliga (4th ranked).. Even Ligue 1 had 3 different winners in the last 5 years (PSG, Lille, Monaco) unlike Bundesliga..

MOTM awards show Messi has been the best player on the pitch more than half the time (more than Benzema+Lewa combined) in a superior league, La Liga, with a much worse squad (Barca) than Bayern under a much worse coach, Koemann.. Context matters..
 

hasanejaz88

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Let's stick with relevant stats.
Other than the sarcastic stats at the end, why not consider header stats? Those are completely relevant when looking at aerial threat, which Lewandowski is one of it not the best striker at, and holding the ball.
 

izec

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Poor Lewandowski. Has clearly been the best player in the world for the last two years, and instead of having two Ballon D'ors and being cemented in history as one of the greats of all time, will have none.
Yes, got fecked over. Not the first one though.
 

Paula

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Messi is not even the best player in his current team :D
 

Revan

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Yes, got fecked over. Not the first one though.
Sneijder in 2010 (in favor of Messi) and Ribery in 2013 (in favor of Ronaldo) are another two players that should have won it.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have more Ballon D'ors that they should. They will end 7-5, while I think it should have been 6-4 top.
 

Zehner

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Other than the sarcastic stats at the end, why not consider header stats? Those are completely relevant when looking at aerial threat, which Lewandowski is one of it not the best striker at, and holding the ball.
That's true :) At least some of them are relevant. Touches with the head in the opponent's box seems rather irrelevant. It was just a tongue in cheek reply to a tongue in cheek post.
 

Zehner

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Sneijder in 2010 (in favor of Messi) and Ribery in 2013 (in favor of Ronaldo) are another two players that should have won it.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have more Ballon D'ors that they should. They will end 7-5, while I think it should have been 6-4 top.
It depends on the criteria. The issue with the Ballon D'Or is that they changed them on the fly to foster a narrative. If you give it to the best player of the most successful teams, both Messi and Ronaldo have won far too much. If you give it to the individually best player, it's a different question. The best player doesn't always play for the team that won the biggest trophy.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Sneijder in 2010 (in favor of Messi) and Ribery in 2013 (in favor of Ronaldo) are another two players that should have won it.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have more Ballon D'ors that they should. They will end 7-5, while I think it should have been 6-4 top.
I agree, it's also a shame as 6th to 7th Ballon d'Or really does nothing for Messi's legacy whereas it does a lot for Lewandowski's. Nobody will change their mind on Messi based on if he has 6 or 7 Ballon d'Ors.
 

Sarni

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Let's stick with relevant stats.
How is comparing playmakers stats to a striker relevant here at all? In basically every single year Ronaldo won it he would have been well behind Messi in literally all those stats too. There is no way for a striker like Lewandowski, given his role, to beat Messi in basically every statistic he quoted.
 

Sarni

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Other than the sarcastic stats at the end, why not consider header stats? Those are completely relevant when looking at aerial threat, which Lewandowski is one of it not the best striker at, and holding the ball.
Yeah. And also one where Messi can’t touch him due to his height and role in the team. Or penalties scored/conversion rate. I would probably guess Lewandowski had a higher chance conversion too but not 100% sure as Messi is quite clinical himself.
 

Pocho

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Messi should win it, just because he is the best. Simple
 

BalanceUnAutreJoint

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How is comparing playmakers stats to a striker relevant here at all? In basically every single year Ronaldo won it he would have been well behind Messi in literally all those stats too. There is no way for a striker like Lewandowski, given his role, to beat Messi in basically every statistic he quoted.
Messi fans will nitpick offensive statistics that he's the best at and pretend they are the most relevant or important statistics.
Goals from outside the penalty box matters to them but headed goals do not. Weird.
 

hasanejaz88

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Seems pretty much dead locked that Messi will win it.

Lewandowski is going to be pissed, that's for sure :D He places a lot of value on individual achievements, he was angry at not getting the top scorer award for a couple of years, so he will be raging at not getting this award for two years in a row (deserves it both years).
 

Iker Quesadillas

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MOTM awards show Messi has been the best player on the pitch more than half the time (more than Benzema+Lewa combined) in a superior league, La Liga, with a much worse squad (Barca) than Bayern under a much worse coach, Koemann.. Context matters..
La Liga has a player of the month award. Messi only won it once last season. Do you want to explain that context to me?
 

Rojow

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These guys. If Ronaldo had scored tree hattricks in a row you would be asking for him to win the Ballon d'Or. People just don't see enought football, they just see stats and mostly goals, nothing more.
 

Hansi Fick

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Messi definitively wins in the rabid online fanboys category.
 

hasanejaz88

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Where are people getting MOTM stats for Lewandowski from? Last I remember the Bundesliga doesn't officially give out man of the match awards.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Seems pretty much dead locked that Messi will win it.

Lewandowski is going to be pissed, that's for sure :D He places a lot of value on individual achievements, he was angry at not getting the top scorer award for a couple of years, so he will be raging at not getting this award for two years in a row (deserves it both years).
I think it’s good for Bayern Munich if Lewandowski doesn’t win it. Means he’ll probably be angry and score 2 goals a game for a year to win it next season.