Both Varane and Modric haven't even been in the 3 best Real Madrid players in 2018, nevermind the whole world.
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Modric deserves Ballon d'Or, but Ronaldo will get it
- Thread starter ManuMou
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
They had great World Cups which takes priority. That is the way it has always been until recently.
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Ballon d'Or counting halfway through, podium as of now: 1. Luka Modric 2. Raphael Varane 3. Kylian Mbappe
Looks like Ronaldo-Messi duopoly will be broken by Modric
I remember Shevchenko winning it in 2004 over Deco too. Why was that then? Portugal got to the Euros final, Porto won the CL and Deco had a clearly better year than the one Modric, Mbappe or Varane just had... Shevchenko didn't get to any final and he won it.
Did Varane have a better World Cup than Ronaldo btw? Really? Ronaldo won't win it because he was born in the wrong country then, if getting to the WC final was a requirement he was out of it before the year even began and you need to be born in a big footballing country or have the kindest draw in WC history to be able to win it...
WC should take priority, but it's not the only thing that matters. If that's the top 3, they're giving such a huge importance to the WC that Messi shouldn't have even made the top 23 then. If Mbappe is finishing above Messi and Ronaldo, why aren't Rakitic, Mandzukic, Griezmann, Kante, Lloris, Pavard, etc. too?
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Ronaldo de Lima won it in 2002 despite not even playing 10 games or less in the previous season if I remeber correctly. He won it. Cannavaro won it over a Ronaldinho who was instrumental in Barcelona's league and Champions League Campaign and then was subpar for Real Madrid the season after the World Cup.
Zidane won the Ballon D'Or over Ronaldo De Lima because he scored 2 headed goals in a World Cup final despite Ronaldo being much better than him in both Serie A and the World Cup.
How would you compare Varane and Ronaldo directly? Different roles. Varane was great in France's defence and was also with Madrid when they won the Champions League. Ronaldo was anonymous in the Champions LEague Semi finals and finals and his profligacy was one of the reasons MAdrid fell behind in the league when he had a conversion rate of 1 gaol in 50 shots at on point in the start of the season. As for Messi, the votes don't seem to care about leagues anymore. Overall performance wise in terms of game to performance he was by far the best player last season but Barcelona were embarrassed by Roma and Argentina where poor in the world Cup.
Mbappe was outstanding in the World Cup and had a great season with PSG. If he won it I wouldn't be against it.
Why should it though? The world cup is overrated.
Well historically, especially when I was younger, it was the only chance everyone had to watch all the best players. Back then you coulnd't justy on the internet and swuicth on tv's to watch games. You mostly got a view of players shaped on ournalitst writings and ratings and local journalists influcne back then was very big as they could shape the perception of footballers.
That tradition carried on but was weakened over the last decade but it looks like the journalists who vote for the award have returned back to the old ways.
The most undeserving winner i can remember.
I honestly think that hes only getting it because they dont want Cristiano overtaking Messi to make it 6-5 and because he left Real.
I honestly think that hes only getting it because they dont want Cristiano overtaking Messi to make it 6-5 and because he left Real.
That's very well put, but it isn't 1970 anymore, and upholding a tradition just for its own sake makes very little sense. Also there is an argument to be made that in those days WC actually was a pinnacle when it comes to quality of football, which it very certainly isn't now, at least not in my opinion.
Poor Ronaldo, maybe he shouldn't have left Real Madrid?
Who are they? The same ones who are behind Kennedy murder, 9/11, mkultra, etc?
I think you could be onto something here...
The Messiah not even gonna be on the podium....mind you, he probably won’t care. He’ll just continue to be.
Completely underserving but there you go. It should be between Messi and Ronaldo every single year they're actively playing.
Genuinely think Mbappe is more deserving than Modric.
Shouldn't Messi win it? He was instrumental in Barca winning the double.
You forgot the European Super Cup.
EL and CDR barely count, ESC and SSC are simply irrelevant.
Well it depends how you view it. The quality of Club fotball is obvioulsy much better now especially seeing as most of the National Team players play in foreign leagues and different leagues whereas back then for example in Netherlands, the bulk of our teams where made up of the best Ajax and Feyenoord players.
The World Cup is still seen by many as the most prestigous footballing compettion in the world. It's a tournament that comes about every four years so any player that can make a big impact in it is basically immortalised. Iniest/Xavi should have won it in 2010 as well and maybe Neuer in 2014.
It's the same thing as a player winning it for doing well in the Champions League. If a player does well in 6 games in the Champions League, it is prioritised over another player doing well over 30+ games. That's just the way it is.
It's not very important but better than nothing. They defeated Real Madrid, not a weak opponent.
Anyone is free to regard the WC whichever way they like, and I agree that a majority probably feels that way. It's just that the reasons behind that prestige are practically gone, as far as I'm concerned. Only reason I actually watch it nowadays is that there's nothing else to watch during the summer. Honestly, if someone abolished international football completely tomorrow, I'd hardly bat an eyelid.
Why?
The World Cup should take priority when concerning the Golden Ball for best player at the World Cup. There's no way Modric was the best player in the world over 2018. Varane second is also laughable. Real Madrid's defence has been terrible all year domestically.
I guess that's a good question. It probably boils down to what one expects to gain by watching games/following football. The older I get, the less tolerance I seem to have for low standard of play, unless of course it's my own team I support.
At this point, international football to me at least, feels distinctly second rate in every way to be honest.
Fair enough.
Why? It's obvious that the WC is the biggest and most important competition in the sport. World Cup games are the most important of the year. It's natural that performance in the world cup should be more important than at club level.
Now as for this specific case, meh. Anyone of Salah, Messi, Cristiano, Varane, Modric, Griezmann and Mbappé has a good case. Who cares who finishes 2nd or 3rd...
More important, fair enough. But Modric and especially Varane were no where near good enough over the year to be named as the best two players of the year.
If the World Cup was as irrelevant as so many people now believe, then 50% of the stars of the World Cup would skip it to avoid injuries (which are significantly more likely in the months following a WC) and rest mentally. Instead they're desperate to risk significant dips in their club form, and risk injuries regardless of their club's requests to pull out. Even in the cases of injuries to key players which keep them out of the majority of the tournament - they're rushing back to play any of it.
Fans might not care about the World Cup less but fans don't matter. The professionals care.
Fans might not care about the World Cup less but fans don't matter. The professionals care.
If the WC is so important, why wouldn't a person from the winning team win?
Majority of fans care about it more than anything else. It's just the nerdy hip ones on football boards and the internet in general who have tens of tables and stats open for every match and view the sport highly analytically that think that CL or leagues matter more.
No footballer who has ever played the game would even once think of prioritising anything over a possibility of winning the WC. Ask Messi if he could trade his CL wins for that one WC win especially in Brazil and he'd do it in an instant. It's the biggest dream of every singly footballer to hold that trophy and there isn't a bigger honour or achievement than winning that. No amount of speccy posters on a forum can overturn what the absolute vast majority of fans and players agree on regarding what the most prestigious event in the sport of football is.
It's the biggest trophy, but it isn't the biggest display of quality. I think that's fair to say.
Wonder when the next time a defender will win this award?
Varane would likely have got it had he been captain of Real and France, as strange as that sounds.
Varane would likely have got it had he been captain of Real and France, as strange as that sounds.
The salty Ronaldo fans are finally emerging as they discover Modric is going to win haha.
You'd think after the guy has undeservedly won so many Ballon D'or, they'd keep quiet.
Funniest part is as much as they can argue that Modric isn't a deserving winner, they think Ronaldo is lol.
Mbappe, Messi. Griezmann and Modric all deserve it this season ahead of Ronaldo.
You'd think after the guy has undeservedly won so many Ballon D'or, they'd keep quiet.
Funniest part is as much as they can argue that Modric isn't a deserving winner, they think Ronaldo is lol.
Mbappe, Messi. Griezmann and Modric all deserve it this season ahead of Ronaldo.
Modric is being so average this late 2018...
And frankly, after the 2010 and 2013 fiascos, I couldn't care less...
And frankly, after the 2010 and 2013 fiascos, I couldn't care less...
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It doesn't matter who wins it, everyone will say it was underserved and they will all have a point.
He was under par in the two most important tournaments of the season. Had he performed better I would give the prize to him. But he didn't.