Modric deserves Ballon d'Or, but Ronaldo will get it

[Ronaldo's Mum Eh?]

Ronaldo #6.

Messi fans on suicide watch.

 

[Peyroteo]

Would like to see Modric get it, but annoyingly they'll give it to the Ego.

Thankfully this is an award for the best player in the world, not the ‘likeable player who is perceived as underrated making hipster football fans who don’t watch the games feel good about themselves for overrating him’ award.

Modric wasn’t even one of the 3 best Real Madrid players in 2018. Ronaldo, Ramos and Marcelo have easily been better. Bar his first year, this has been Modric’s worse year in a Madrid shirt by a mile. His WC was nowhere near as special as it was made out to be either, won player of the tournament purely for the narrative that he was the star of a small nation that got to the WC final. Hazard was better in every single one of the knockout rounds.

 

[Wilt]

Thankfully this is an award for the best player in the world, not the ‘likeable player who is perceived as underrated making hipster football fans who don’t watch the games feel good about themselves for overrating him’ award.

Modric wasn’t even one of the 3 best Real Madrid players in 2018. Ronaldo, Ramos and Marcelo have easily been better. Bar his first year, this has been Modric’s worse year in a Madrid shirt by a mile. His WC was nowhere near as special as it was made out to be either, won player of the tournament purely for the narrative that he was the star of a small nation that got to the WC final. Hazard was better in every single one of the knockout rounds.

Interesting point of view "Professional Ronaldo PR Guy".

 

[Peyroteo]

Interesting point of view "Professional Ronaldo PR Guy".

It’s not really a point of view, I just watch the games and don’t enjoy rating players higher or lower due to how likeable they are. Apparently football manager and FIFA need to add a likeability attribute to their game since it somehow may get the likes of Buffon into Ballon D’Or discussions at 40 years old like it did last season and it may get Modric into the Ballon D’Or discussions by having people ignore how he actually played.

How else do you explain that there are people here saying Modric has been the best performing Real Madrid player this season when Ronaldo, Marcelo and Ramos have all clearly been better and much more important to a CL victory in which they got dominated in midfield pretty much every single step of the way bar the final?

 

[spontaneus1]

People forget basically all of Ronaldo's return for this season came n 2018.

 

[jeff_goldblum]

Modric was Real's best player

Saying it as if it's a fact doesn't make it true, Ronaldo was comfortably in 2018. The players below plus Asensio (in the league) were more influential.

It’s not really a point of view, I just watch the games and don’t enjoy rating players higher or lower due to how likeable they are. Apparently football manager and FIFA need to add a likeability attribute to their game since it somehow may get the likes of Buffon into Ballon D’Or discussions at 40 years old like it did last season and it may get Modric into the Ballon D’Or discussions by having people ignore how he actually played.

How else do you explain that there are people here saying Modric has been the best performing Real Madrid player this season when Ronaldo, Marcelo and Ramos have all clearly been better and much more important to a CL victory in which they got dominated in midfield pretty much every single step of the way bar the final?

This

 

[meninred]

I dont know what modric did to won ballon d"or..to me he was okay at worldcup.but the the third place is wide open .

 

[Wilt]

It’s not really a point of view, I just watch the games and don’t enjoy rating players higher or lower due to how likeable they are. Apparently football manager and FIFA need to add a likeability attribute to their game since it somehow may get the likes of Buffon into Ballon D’Or discussions at 40 years old like it did last season and it may get Modric into the Ballon D’Or discussions by having people ignore how he actually played.

How else do you explain that there are people here saying Modric has been the best performing Real Madrid player this season when Ronaldo, Marcelo and Ramos have all clearly been better and much more important to a CL victory in which they got dominated in midfield pretty much every single step of the way bar the final?

It's not just a case of likability. Yes Ronaldo has had a good 2018, nothing new there. However, the WC will always have a big bearing on where the Ballon d'Or goes. Modric, often the unsung hero of Real Madrid, scored one of the best goals of the WC, got to the final and most importantly won the Golden Ball. I'm not saying he'll win it but no one should be shocked if he does.

 

[Peyroteo]

It's not just a case of likability. Yes Ronaldo has had a good 2018, nothing new there. However, the WC will always have a big bearing on where the Ballon d'Or goes. Modric, often the unsung hero of Real Madrid, scored one of the best goals of the WC, got to the final and most importantly won the Golden Ball. I'm not saying he'll win it but no one should be shocked if he does.

I disagree but that’s fair enough, my comments were about the people that go way overboard when talking about Modric. He’s been the unsung hero often for Madrid during his time there but nowadays that’s been repeated so much it’s turned completely around and there are people overrating his performances to extreme levels.

He’s the best midfielder in the world and should finish in the top 5 for the Ballon D’Or 100% but people saying he’s been Real Madrid’s most important player are doing so without any regard for what actually happened on the pitch.

 

[breakout67]

Modric and Kroos have been utter shite for Madrid this season. At least Ronaldo recovered from a poor start and was amazing in the 2nd half of the season.

I would say that the best players for Madrid were the defenders and Ronaldo. Benzema still can't score, Isco is regularly ineffective and Bale is very good when used but was on the bench a lot.

 

[Schneckerl]

Modric was not the best player for Madrid in 2018. People somehow seem to project him being better than Ronaldo against Bayern and Liverpool for the whole year.

 

[shamans]

If Croatia had won the World Cup then he deserved.

As it stands Ronaldo fully deserves it

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Ronaldo was Real's best player this season again.

Modric was better in 2017, though he was great at the WC.

 

[Theafonis]

Hmm poll ? @Damien

 

[Theafonis]

I think Varane should get it before Modric, Messi or Ronaldo

Best defender in the CL, best defender in the WC, won both, job done.

He'll never win it, Ballon d'or is a joke

 

[Theafonis]

Apparently they want to go back to the original purpose of the award, so the ideal candidate is a player that marked exceptionally this season. For me, Salah fits well.

Like the NBA MVP award? Its not really about who was the best, but more so the individual most valuable to their team.

 

[Peyroteo]

He'll never win it, Ballon d'or is a joke

Ballon D’Or is a joke for not going to a guy who is not even the best CB in his own team...

 

[Tarrou]

I love Modric but didn't think he was that amazing at the world cup, by his own high standards. Needed to win it to get the Ballon D'or, IMO.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

He'll never win it, Ballon d'or is a joke

Varane is not one of the top 15 players in the World. His name should not even come up in discussion.

 

[Jonno]

Nobody in world football are close to the levels set by peak Messi and Ronaldo.

The winner of this years Ballon-dor will in my opinion be the poorest-performing winner in recent times.

 

[Daysleeper]

Ronaldo won the domestic league and the Champions League but crashed out of the World Cup in the quarter finals.

Mbappe won the domestic league AND won the World Cup, scoring 4 goals including the final. But crashed out of the Champions League. And he did it all at a tender age of 19.

Surely, Mbappe's a bigger achievement and deserve the Ballon d'Or?

Ronaldo did not win the domestic league, he only had one meaningful trophy, the CL

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Nobody in world football are close to the levels set by peak Messi and Ronaldo.

The winner of this years Ballon-dor will in my opinion be the poorest-performing winner in recent times.

A bit of hyerpole. Even if you take Salah, he's a pretty worthy winner even if we won't get the award. Record breaking league season. Superb in the CL. Great for Egypt from what I've heard. Only flaw was that he was injured in the CL final. That's a pretty worthy Balon Dor season. I'm not saying he will or should win it. But the field isn't weak. Ronaldo was brilliant apart from the semis and finals of the CL. Messi was superb all season apart from knockout match where Barca got hammered. Modric is a great player.

It's not a weak field.

 

[Jonno]

A bit of hyerpole. Even if you take Salah, he's a pretty worthy winner even if we won't get the award. Record breaking league season. Superb in the CL. Great for Egypt from what I've heard. Only flaw was that he was injured in the CL final. That's a pretty worthy Balon Dor season. I'm not saying he will or should win it. But the field isn't weak. Ronaldo was brilliant apart from the semis and finals of the CL. Messi was superb all season apart from knockout match where Barca got hammered. Modric is a great player.

It's not a weak field.

I think in comparison to recent years, it is. Salah was simply brilliant, but not near the same level as peak Messi/Ronaldo. Messi and Ronaldo themselves aren't on the same planet as their peak versions.

Modric has always been a great player, but never come close as even being mentioned as a potential BD winner until this year. The only reason he's being touted now is because there really aren't many other worthy contenders. Modric, whilst a brilliant player being touted as the next BD winner highlights the lack of competition this year.

I'd give it to Salah, personally.

 

[Aki_United]

In my opinion nobody deserves it this year. Should be someone from the French team, but who?

 

[kouroux]

Ronaldo did not win the domestic league, he only had one meaningful trophy, the CL

IMHO Domestic league + domestic cups+ world cup > Champions league

 

[ROFLUTION]

How many times you've seen them. 2?

Not much to be fair.. But its been in big occasions/matches, so it must count for something if you are to win the Ballon d'or..

Kroos just stood out more, the times ive watched. Im sure Modric's been good/great overall in LaLiga/CL, but my logic just tells me that if barely no-one was talking about how good he was during the whole season and no one had him as candidate before the World Cup, maybe he just hasnt had that great a season.

People couldnt stop talking about Pirlo or Xavi for their clubs for example.

 

[Daysleeper]

IMHO Domestic league + domestic cups+ world cup > Champions league

Depends on the league

 

[kouroux]

Depends on the league

No depend there, the World Cup tips everything over anyway and the French League, while not being the best of course , is still alright.

 

[MrMarcello]

Sneijder had a far better CV and logical argument in 2010 but didn't win the award, unjustly.

Modric's calendar year and WC were nowhere near Sneijder's level.

Seems like this is just another Messi vs Ronaldo or anyone but Ronaldo thread on the Caf.

 

[gaucho_10]

Modric deserves to come 3rd

And Ronaldo and Messi don't even deserve to be among top 3 in this list.

Messi won the legaue, was irelevant in CL loss to Roma and was also irelevant in WC.

Ronaldo was not the delriving force in this year CL for Real, actually far from it. He also didn't make a difference for his team in WC (one free kick is not enough).

Modric was again the key man in CL for Real, he took little Croatia to WC finals only for the referee to take any chance so cruelly away from them and he was named player of the tournament.

One thing is certain, Ronaldo and Messi are not getting it this year. It's only journalists who vote so the popularity contest this isn't any more (those same journalists voted I iesta and Sneijder, but they only gave 1/3 of the votes back then). Bye bye Ronaldo and Messi. Your days are over.

It's Modric or Griezmann who will get it this year.

 

[kouroux]

Sneijder had a far better CV and logical argument in 2010 but didn't win the award, unjustly.

Modric's calendar year and WC were nowhere near Sneijder's level.

Seems like this is just another Messi vs Ronaldo or anyone but Ronaldo thread on the Caf.

The voting is done differently. Only by journalists so a player who has done in the WC has bigger chances to win the Ballon d'Or than before.

 

[roonster09]

So Ronaldo scored in 10 consecutive games, till quarter finals and only didn't score in 3 games but he isn't driving force in their CL win and now Modric is their key player in CL win.

Well campaign is well and truly started by Madrid fans. If not for Ronaldo, Madrid's campaign would have ended at Round of 16 or QFs.

 

[antohan]

Griezmann will/should get it.

 

[zvezdar]

Perisic was better than Modric over the World Cup, but he plays for Inter rather than Real Madrid.

Not a chance Modric deserves the Ballon d'Or.

 

[SSSSnake]

What a load of tosh! How many games has Ronaldo influenced with his goals/assists?
Modric had a great world cup but is just some hipster vote since the World Cup is fresh in our minds.

It pains me to say but Salah probably deserves it above Ronaldo and Modric.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Seriously how you can compare Modric and Ronaldo with stats ffs

Bad enough when stats are used to compare Messi and Ronaldo

That’s why I also include avg rating.

 

[RedRonaldo]

Ronaldo went on an incredible scoring run at the start of 2018 but it was his disappearing act up to Christmas which pretty much guaranteed Barca the league. I realise the Balon D'or is for the calendar year but I feel his 2018 La Liga run was window dressing on a domestic campaign he'd already blew. He also went missing in the last 4 games of the CL and when Portugal got knocked out of the WC.

Messi along with his goalkeeper dragged a very poor Barca through almost a full La Liga season unbeaten. But they tanked out of the CL because they aren't very good. He single handedly got Argentina to the WC including a vital hattrick in the deciding game but they were absolutely awful defensively in the WC. Still he won La Liga almost single handedly with a team that were greatly unfancied beforehand. It was a stunning achievement which seems to have been almost glossed over.

Modric was Real's best player and led Croatia to the WC final and won the best player award in the WC.


Over the full season:
Messi
Modric
Salah

2018 only:
Modric
Messi
Ronaldo

Feel free to disagree.

Just totally wrong. Modric has an rather average season at Real.

 

[led_scholes]

He scored both goals against a 11 men Juve.

Ah yes, I forgot the penalty..

 

[steffyr2]

In my opinion nobody deserves it this year. Should be someone from the French team, but who?

Pogba
Weird that people seem to want to avoid saying his name.

 

[Ban]

Perisic was better than Modric over the World Cup, but he plays for Inter rather than Real Madrid.

Not a chance Modric deserves the Ballon d'Or.

Not sure about that. I mean even if Perišić was better does that mean Luka doesn't deserve it?