Match of the day - Top.10 Ballon D'or Winners (** PL era)

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

I'll be honest, I can't stand the usual MOTD programmes but these Top.10 series from Lineker, Wright and Shearers homes have been pretty good imo. For a start, they're more natural and they all have good stories to recall... like Lineker losing out a Ballon D'or to Igor Belanov!!

Latest one was a challenge. Put the following in order - the Ballon D'or winners from the PL era;

• Z Zidane
• Rivaldo
• C Ronaldo
• L Figo
• R Baggio
• Ronaldo (R9)
• Van Basten
• Messi
• Ronaldinho
• Kaka

There are probably four that while great players, fill the 10-7 spots (though some may differ) but the top.6 places??? Who and why?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08cb2z4

 

[pacifictheme]

Messi
C ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
Zidane
Van basten
Kaka
Baggio
Rivaldo
Figo

 

[Grinner]

The other day Shearer and Wrighty both called Roy Keane the top foreign import. Thankfully Lineker saw sense and went for Henry.

 

[balaks]

It's a great format and as the OP said they are all much more relaxed and come across well. It's been a very enjoyable show.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

The other day Shearer and Wrighty both called Roy Keane the top foreign import. Thankfully Lineker saw sense and went for Henry.

While recognising all styles, Lineker has a self professed leaning towards the more graceful/fluid players which is fine. (No-one could say Henry doesn't deserves to be in the conversation, great player.)

He said exactly that in this top.10 show about why he chose Messi as 1 over Ronaldo.... "For reasons of the joy he gives football, the things he does, the beauty of his football".

 

[harms]

1. Messi. Simply the best player of this era
2. C. Ronaldo. Too efficient and consistent to put him further down
3. L. Ronaldo. Unplayable and incredibly entertaining to watch
4. van Basten. There's not much between him and Ronaldo when you compare the best №9's in history
5. Zidane. Not very consistent in league campaigns, but has an insane collection of big moments
6. Ronaldinho. Pure magic, but didn't manage to keep his insane peak for long enough. Also disappointing in 2006 World Cup
7. Baggio. Injuries and weird club career count against him. Also sold by Juve around his peak because they believed that Del Piero would be a better bet. Again, pure magic!
8. Rivaldo. There's not that much between him, Zidane and Ronaldinho when you look closely. Unlucky not to be a part of a truly great club side at his peak
9. Figo. Again, can easily be anywhere below 4th. Who knows, if he came up top in their duel with Zidane in 2000, may be he would've been considered the better player
10. Kaka. Easiest choice for me, although he was still an amazing player — like every other player on that list to be fair

 

[Grinner]

While recognising all styles, Lineker has a self professed leaning towards the more graceful/fluid players which is fine. (No-one could say Henry doesn't deserves to be in the conversation, great player.)

He said exactly that in this top.10 show about why he chose Messi as 1 over Ronaldo.... "For reasons of the joy he gives football, the things he does, the beauty of his football".

A more interesting question is if you can only have one of them in your team, who do you choose?

 

[11101]

I'd break it into two lists.


Best player overall:
CR7
Messi
R9
Zidane
Ronaldinho
van Basten
Baggio
Rivaldo
Kaka
Figo

Best player in a Ballon D'or winning season:
R9
Messi
CR7
Ronaldinho
Zidane
Rivaldo
Kaka
van Basten
Baggio
Figo

Breaking into two lists is most relevant for the top 3. Overall i think Messi is the more talented, but I can't overlook what CR7 has done in multiple leagues and teams compared to him, and despite not reaching their heights overall I have never seen a player like R9 in the season he first won the award.

 

[Sassy Colin]

@matbezlima surely this thread is right up your street, or is the subject matter too broad for you?

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

A more interesting question is if you can only have one of them in your team, who do you choose?

Without any bias, I'd go Keane. Nothing to do with respective talent, I just think it's easier to build a team and have some success with a great midfielder than a great forward.


Another question is would Henry get in Uniteds various PL teams? Very likely

 

[OleBoiii]

Best career or best peak? I've heard many claim that no one in history can match R9's peak.

If it's career, then Messi is the easily the best, followed by Cristiano.

Ronaldinho is the most magical, though

 

[Gio]

Based on their careers, I'd put them in three tiers:

Top tier - Messi, Cristiano, Ronaldo
Middle tier - Van Basten, Zidane, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Baggio
Bottom tier - Figo, Kaka

How you rank them within those tiers depends on what you value.

Based on their best Ballon D'Or winning season, it would be slightly different as I think Messi and Ronaldo would be in their own top tier, with Cristiano, Van Basten, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in the next one.

Based on their best international tournament, you'd almost invert the list with Zidane and Baggio jumping up to the top with Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Van Basten.

 

[Lay]

1. Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Ronaldo
4. Ronaldinho
5. Zidane
6. Rivaldo
7. Kaka
8. Figo

The reason Baggio and Van Basten are lower is that I’ve seen them less, Van Basten especially

 

[freeurmind]

1. C Ronaldo
2. Messi
3. Ronaldinho
4. Zidane
5. R9
6. Van Basten
7. R Baggio
8. Rivaldo
9. Luis Figo
10. Kaka

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

1. Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Ronaldo
4. Ronaldinho
5. Zidane
6. Rivaldo
7. Kaka
8. Figo

The reason Baggio and Van Basten are lower is that I’ve seen them less, Van Basten especially

Van Basten is probably the second best centre forward (if that's the correct descriptive word) I've ever seen. Behind R9 at peak.

He had the technical ability and intelligence you'd expect from an Ajax schooled player, could run with the ball, good poacher, good in the air, great volleying technique and had the size to be a physical presence and hold off defenders.

 

[matbezlima]

Why not make a thread like this for the FIFA award for the best player in the world? After all, Romário wasn't elegible to the 1994 Ballon D'or because he is not european.

 

[FrankDrebin]

If each player was on top form and you had to pick one to watch live,which one would it be ?

It's a toss up between Ronaldinho or Zidane for me.

 

[Champagne Football]

1. Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Ronaldo
4. Ronaldinho
5. Zidane
6. Rivaldo
7. Kaka
8. Figo

.
1. Messi
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Ronaldo
4. Ronaldinho
5. Zidane
6. Rivaldo
7. Kaka
8. Van Basten

My top 7 would be same as yours, with no. 8 only difference.
I think Messi is the GOAT even though R9 could have been the GOAT but for injuries. I've no complaints that some say Cristiano was the GOAT, but I think peak Messi about 6 years ago is the best footballer in history.
Baggio was a level slightly below this 8 names. I'm not sure Figo is up with those 8 names either even though he was class.
Van Basten was obviously a phenomenon, but injuries wrecked his career, so he'll have to settle for no. 8.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

Why not make a thread like this for the FIFA award for the best player in the world? After all, Romário wasn't elegible to the 1994 Ballon D'or because he is not european.

Go for your life.

I was just posting about the latest Match of the day 'top.10'. I don't script their programmes, honest

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

If each player was on top form and you had to pick one to watch live,which one would it be ?

It's a toss up between Ronaldinho or Zidane for me.

As much as Messi is a beautiful player to watch (and Zidane was balletic), Ronaldinho for me. Just think he did more different things, well... and had a wider range of goals.

And all with a (very) toothy smile

 

[Halds]

Van Basten is probably the second best centre forward (if that's the correct descriptive word) I've ever seen. Behind R9 at peak.

He had the technical ability and intelligence you'd expect from an Ajax schooled player, could run with the ball, good poacher, good in the air, great volleying technique and had the size to be a physical presence and hold off defenders.

For me it's a toss up between these two. They are by far the two best pure strikers I've seen. Amazing what van Basten achieved with the injuries he had and a career end in the middle of his prime at 28.

 

[matbezlima]

For me it's a toss up between these two. They are by far the two best pure strikers I've seen. Amazing what van Basten achieved with the injuries he had and a career end in the middle of his prime at 28.

Ronaldo, Van Basten and Romário are probably the Holy Trinity of strikers.