Friday, March 29, 2024

Is Lionel Messi a worthy winner of the Ballon d’Or?

Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a third consecutive year.

The Barcelona forward helped his club to the Champions League and La Liga titles last season and is regarded as one of the best players the game has ever seen.

Competition

Messi beat the likes of teammate Xavi and Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to the award. Both players had outstanding years again but couldn’t beat the little Argentinian to the award. Messi is rated as the best player in the world and he has proved himself season after season.

Ronaldo

Lots of people have said in the past that Cristiano Ronaldo should have won the award. Ronaldo scored a record breaking 40 goals in La Liga last season and had another amazing season. Unfortunately for him he just can’t compete with Messi.

The reason he can’t compete with Messi is because his attitude is all wrong. Even at 26 years of age he doesn’t seem to understand that a good attitude can get you a long way. His arrogance and selfishness has stopped him becoming a real legend. He has shown slightly less selfishness in his play this season but it’s still not been good enough.

Ronaldo decided not to go to the Ballon d’Or awards. I am unaware of why he didn’t go to the awards. Maybe he realised that Lionel Messi was always going to claim the award.

One of the other reasons he hasn’t won the award in the last few years is because he seems to freeze on the big occasions for Real Madrid. In the Clasico’s Ronaldo has been poor and the fact that he missed two brilliant chances in  the last Clasico has summed up his performances in Spain’s biggest games.

Lionel Messi however has produced match winning performances in the big games for the Catalan’s. That’s a big factor in the Argentinian picking up the award.

While Ronaldo has been at Real he has also failed to pick up any of the big trophies. This season is Real Madrid’s best chance of wrestling the La Liga crown from their arch-rivals. If Real win La Liga or the Champions League then maybe Ronaldo will have a chance of winning next years award.

Xavi

Xavi has been the heartbeat of the Barcelona team in recent years. His consistency is incredible and he never seems to have a bad game. He does the simple things very well and is the key to Catalan giants style of play.

Xavi makes the game look so effortless that he sometimes doesn’t get the credit he deserves. I don’t think Xavi was ever going to win the award because he simply isn’t flash enough. The Spanish international doesn’t get the glory or the goals of Messi or Ronaldo but he is still a fantastic individual talent.

Best

In my opinion Lionel Messi is by far the best player on the planet and deserves the award. Messi is the best player of his generation and at 24 years of age will only go from strength to strength. The Argentinian will go on and break all sorts of records in the future.

Lionel Messi has time to make an even bigger impact on the game in the future. He could become the greatest player of all time but he has to enjoy success with his country to be considered alongside the likes of compatriot Diego Maradona, Pele and Johan Cruyff.

I certainly wouldn’t back against Lionel Messi achieving the tag of the best player ever. He is certainly the best player I have seen and I feel honoured to be able to watch so much of Lionel Messi. I’m sure many of you will agree that Lionel Messi is a worthy winner of the Ballon d’Or.

Did Lionel Messi deserve to win the Ballon d’Or?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Nugent


David is a freelance football writer with nearly a decade of experience writing about the beautiful game. The experienced writer has written for over a dozen websites and also an international soccer magazine offline.
Arguably his best work has come as an editorial writer for Soccernews, sharing his good, bad and ugly opinions on the world’s favourite sport. During David’s writing career he has written editorials, betting previews, match previews, banter, news and opinion pieces.

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  • Sele-hundred Thomas

    0 0

    Messi will do so since since he is in good position yet.

  • eke

    0 0

    what about Eto. i think he is a great player but were exactly do you place him?

    • David Nugent

      0 0

      Eto’o is a great player but I don’t think he can be placed in the same bracket as Messi. Messi is the best player of his generation but you could argue that Eto’o is probably the best player that his continent has ever produced.

  • Brad

    0 0

    ummmmm. . . . did anyone get what campestral is saying? First of all, he’s saying blasphemous stuff, but that part is off topic, as is the ridiculous 142 year old part (couldn’t help but laugh though), and the equally incredible distinction of playing alongside Pele, Maradona, and Messi. Then there’s the kind of on topic part, Messi being the best ever, when he’s still got several of Pele’s records to beat.
    Xavi should’ve had it. Messi wouldn’t be on the same short list as him (or, at least, not as high up on the short-list) if it wasn’t for Xavi.

  • hulton england

    0 0

    NO, they should SCRAP the ballon d’or & make a new, platinum model especially for him – he’s in a different orbit, if not stratosphere, to the rest…

  • ac dc

    0 0

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? messi??? huh??? why him?? cuse he break the laliga scoring ??? messi been in laliga for too many years and not break the scoring record & then ronaldo came & break it just after 1 year. messi been better becuse he has been get fantastic passes by xavi & iniesta in his early football life. I promise ronaldo is better than messi. you will see at end of the season

  • russ ru

    0 0

    @ joe i do not hate messi… But really think about how xavi and iniesta influence how barcelona and spain play…. In 2010 inter milan won the champions league and spain won the world cup…. Naturally we all believed sneijder or xavi or iniesta to take the award… But somehow the politics at fifa gave messi again. Messi at most should have 2 not 3 ballon d’ors. @ angel joe u said what i’m tryin to say to joe…

  • campestral

    0 0

    i am 142 years old and i have played with pele and also maradona and i can tell you messi is the best ever dats true dat is and i was talking to god the other day and he said he doesn’t know where this guy came from there must be another superior god who made such a superior footballer of all time and space amen

  • Michael

    0 0

    FIFA must not award a player who stays in one club for sooooo many years as world best, as messi is doing but rather award players that change there club and still perform well as CHRISTIANO RONALDO because CR7 can play football in any club but messi can’t.

  • Michael

    0 0

    How can FIFA award messi as the world best player. World best that can’t change his club, if he also think he is then he should change his club as THE WORLD BEST CHRISTIANO RONALDO did. RONALDO IS THE BEST.

  • anuraag cr7

    0 0

    ronaldo is not only a footballer…he is not just a player he is a dynasty…he is the man to up the game…is the best in the world…messi widout xavi iniesta=bullshit…
    hala ronaldo

  • angel joe

    0 0

    messi is good but ronaldo is better.messi has records & ronaldo has his. do i need to say dat he is presently the first & only player to win the ballon d’or award while playing for an english club, dat he presently rules la liga, dat he is self made, i hope you all know all dat. ronaldo is an asset to potugal, take xavi & iniesta out of barca &messi is nothing, dat is why to agentina he is NOTHING.

  • Muyiwa Alade

    0 0

    It amazes the way some persons just open their mouths to talk rubbish perhaps because they belong to a club. It is time we realised that we are talking to humans here and not morons. That writer lied that he did not know why Ronaldo did not attend that sham of an award when the whole world knows that they went for a game which they won the next day. That Ronaldo does not shine against big clubs? It is interesting that he has exposed Barca as a weak club. It was Ronaldo who won the King’s Cup from the with a stunning headers last season. Just few days ago, Barca met Madrid home and away. Ronaldo saw the net in both games; Messi did not. What happened to the “god” of assists? Ronaldo is being sung in Portugal today unlike what Argentina does to lacklustre Messi. If Messi were that good, why has Ronaldo continued to rule the La Liga goals table since joining Spain after conquering the Premier League where he won his prestigious Ballon D’ior and Golden Boot on pure merit? Consider all known faculties of the game, Ronaldo is there as a phenomenon. Messi still has a lot to learn from Ronaldo!

    • David Nugent

      0 0

      Sorry, did Ronaldo expose Barcelona as a weak club in La Liga or the Champions League last season? The answer is no and I think it is you that needs to realise that Messi has won the last three Ballon d’Or for a reason. That reason is because he has helped his team win the big trophies. If Cristiano Ronaldo can do that this season then maybe he will be more deserving of the award but until then your argue is irrelevant. However I have a feeling that you are a Real Madrid fan, so you won’t listen to reasonable debate anyway.

  • soccerlover

    0 0

    messi is the bet player if u love foothball u must judge right his talent is undisputable the way he labour for his goals their club side have met several times who carry the day both home and away can u still remember 5-0 where on earth a single clubside won all available 6 cups in a season and 5 cups 2 years later leaving only one for his contender penanty is a lottery game even C ronaldo almost dennied man united a particula cup when he missed his penty and another person fedeemed them please say sth reasonable whenext u want to comment

  • joe

    0 0

    russ u, I think u r a futball fanatic and a messi hate. I’ve read many of ur comments about messi and they r as negative as anything. Look, that cannot stop the best player ever seen in my entire life entertain the people who are blessed to see this gift to soccer by God. Pls if u have nothing cmment on the subject do no feature. Messi is complete in all facets of football.Thanks.

  • russ ru

    0 0

    @ don read the article… It asks e reader if we think messi deserved this award. I was simply givin my opinion and u gave yours. And if u take the time to ACTUALLY READ my earlier comment (not comments) you will find i didn’t back ronaldo. I said they both (ronaldo and messi) achieve nothin with their national sides. Whereas xavi is influencical no matter who he plays for. Don’t just yap nonsense before u got all the details straight don!

  • Barca fan

    0 0

    YOUR TAIKING ABOUT PENALTY HAT TRICKS YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SUPPOSE TO OPEN YOUR EYES KING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOOD PEFORMANS HERE MESSI SCORE MACNIFECENT GOALS HE LOVES TO PLAY FOOTBALL HE DOSENT COMPET HE CREAT CHANSES HE ASSIST HE IS NOT THINKING FOR HIM SELF BUT FOR THE CLUB UNLIKE SOMEONE ELSE

  • Jesse

    0 0

    He did win an Olympic gold medal.. that means nothing?

  • THE KING

    0 0

    CRISTIANO RONALDO DESERVED IT BECAUSE HE CANT MISS PENALTY THIS SEASON ! HE IS NOT JEALOUSE ! HE PLAY VERY WELL IN THIS SEASON WITH HIS GROUP ! HE SCORE MORE HATRICKS THEN THE LOOSER ! COME ON PEOPLE ! OPEN YOUR EYES ! IF YOU LIKE SPORT LOOK IT WITH YOUR EYES AND NOT WITH YOUR MOUTH ! THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

  • dan

    0 0

    Without a doubt,Lionel is the best ever footballer born on Earth.I am 70 years old and I have watched the best of the best during my life.I am sad when contemplating my life may end before Messi’s career will be over.I hope not because there will never be,ever,another talent (read GENIUS!) like him in world soccer and it will be a shame to miss any of his coming performances.

  • Peter

    0 0

    I am surprised you need to ask this question, Messi is without doubt the best player I have seen in my. (I am a pensioner and have followed football avidly all my life. Rooney is not fit to lace up Messi’s boots. Ronaldo might just be allowed to clean them, by far the best footballer in the world, as the number of votes cast for him implies. Keep up the entertainment Senor Messi and Thank you

  • jerrin

    0 0

    i dont know whether just club level performance is the real valuation of this award .
    real competition happens outside, the world level, strength of barcelona squad far better than other clubs in la liga and european level. messi is playing with a club which have got massive talents, and pay huge sums of money for players.

    when you consider his international performance he is such abig zero. effort laid by him for national squad is par below than for barcelona.

    but players like suarez puts the same effort in botth cases.
    individual talents should be encouraged but international performance should also be a parameter.

  • don

    0 0

    @russ ru and yourMILF o sorry his mother they are surely nutts and prejudicial and anti messi elements and especially this russ ru he is proven critic of messi he simply can’t swallow the skills and talents of messi as he doesn’t know nothing will affect to messi’s game of his such sayings but his(russ ru) image itself deteriorates automatically. His 2 diffrnt comments on this backing Ronaldo and Xavi respectively show he don’t know what to say on this and sometimes even backing the fourth name which was never there so what one has to judge on this nightmare so called russs ru. And milf is milf. But simple thing is Messi is miles ahead of every other contender and surely diserves that and I would se he will surely win the next 3 making it double hattrick and I cn bet on that.

  • russ ru

    0 0

    xavi deserved this award…. I think he is the only world class player right now. My reason is this: whether its spain or barca whatever team he’s in he runs things… A european champion, a world champ and everything on offer at barca. Take messi and ronaldo and put them in their national sides and u get… NOTHING

  • your mother

    0 0

    Van Persie deserved the award because, if you took him off the squad they would not be in the position they are in. If you took messi off his squad they would be in the same spot. RVP scored the most goals in all competitions in a calendar year.

  • sahil

    0 0

    he do

  • ellijah

    0 0

    yes he deserved it he is an amazing player and hopefully he will one day win the world cup

  • ellijah

    0 0

    yes he deserved it he is an amazing player and hopefully he will one day win the world cup

  • sahil

    0 0

    he do

  • your mother

    0 0

    Van Persie deserved the award because, if you took him off the squad they would not be in the position they are in. If you took messi off his squad they would be in the same spot. RVP scored the most goals in all competitions in a calendar year.

  • russ ru

    0 0

    xavi deserved this award…. I think he is the only world class player right now. My reason is this: whether its spain or barca whatever team he’s in he runs things… A european champion, a world champ and everything on offer at barca. Take messi and ronaldo and put them in their national sides and u get… NOTHING

  • don

    0 0

    @russ ru and yourMILF o sorry his mother they are surely nutts and prejudicial and anti messi elements and especially this russ ru he is proven critic of messi he simply can’t swallow the skills and talents of messi as he doesn’t know nothing will affect to messi’s game of his such sayings but his(russ ru) image itself deteriorates automatically. His 2 diffrnt comments on this backing Ronaldo and Xavi respectively show he don’t know what to say on this and sometimes even backing the fourth name which was never there so what one has to judge on this nightmare so called russs ru. And milf is milf. But simple thing is Messi is miles ahead of every other contender and surely diserves that and I would se he will surely win the next 3 making it double hattrick and I cn bet on that.

  • jerrin

    0 0

    i dont know whether just club level performance is the real valuation of this award .
    real competition happens outside, the world level, strength of barcelona squad far better than other clubs in la liga and european level. messi is playing with a club which have got massive talents, and pay huge sums of money for players.

    when you consider his international performance he is such abig zero. effort laid by him for national squad is par below than for barcelona.

    but players like suarez puts the same effort in botth cases.
    individual talents should be encouraged but international performance should also be a parameter.

  • Peter

    0 0

    I am surprised you need to ask this question, Messi is without doubt the best player I have seen in my. (I am a pensioner and have followed football avidly all my life. Rooney is not fit to lace up Messi’s boots. Ronaldo might just be allowed to clean them, by far the best footballer in the world, as the number of votes cast for him implies. Keep up the entertainment Senor Messi and Thank you

  • dan

    0 0

    Without a doubt,Lionel is the best ever footballer born on Earth.I am 70 years old and I have watched the best of the best during my life.I am sad when contemplating my life may end before Messi’s career will be over.I hope not because there will never be,ever,another talent (read GENIUS!) like him in world soccer and it will be a shame to miss any of his coming performances.

  • THE KING

    0 0

    CRISTIANO RONALDO DESERVED IT BECAUSE HE CANT MISS PENALTY THIS SEASON ! HE IS NOT JEALOUSE ! HE PLAY VERY WELL IN THIS SEASON WITH HIS GROUP ! HE SCORE MORE HATRICKS THEN THE LOOSER ! COME ON PEOPLE ! OPEN YOUR EYES ! IF YOU LIKE SPORT LOOK IT WITH YOUR EYES AND NOT WITH YOUR MOUTH ! THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

  • Jesse

    0 0

    He did win an Olympic gold medal.. that means nothing?

  • Barca fan

    0 0

    YOUR TAIKING ABOUT PENALTY HAT TRICKS YOU ARE THE ONE THAT SUPPOSE TO OPEN YOUR EYES KING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOOD PEFORMANS HERE MESSI SCORE MACNIFECENT GOALS HE LOVES TO PLAY FOOTBALL HE DOSENT COMPET HE CREAT CHANSES HE ASSIST HE IS NOT THINKING FOR HIM SELF BUT FOR THE CLUB UNLIKE SOMEONE ELSE

  • russ ru

    0 0

    @ don read the article… It asks e reader if we think messi deserved this award. I was simply givin my opinion and u gave yours. And if u take the time to ACTUALLY READ my earlier comment (not comments) you will find i didn’t back ronaldo. I said they both (ronaldo and messi) achieve nothin with their national sides. Whereas xavi is influencical no matter who he plays for. Don’t just yap nonsense before u got all the details straight don!

  • joe

    0 0

    russ u, I think u r a futball fanatic and a messi hate. I’ve read many of ur comments about messi and they r as negative as anything. Look, that cannot stop the best player ever seen in my entire life entertain the people who are blessed to see this gift to soccer by God. Pls if u have nothing cmment on the subject do no feature. Messi is complete in all facets of football.Thanks.

  • soccerlover

    0 0

    messi is the bet player if u love foothball u must judge right his talent is undisputable the way he labour for his goals their club side have met several times who carry the day both home and away can u still remember 5-0 where on earth a single clubside won all available 6 cups in a season and 5 cups 2 years later leaving only one for his contender penanty is a lottery game even C ronaldo almost dennied man united a particula cup when he missed his penty and another person fedeemed them please say sth reasonable whenext u want to comment

  • Muyiwa Alade

    0 0

    It amazes the way some persons just open their mouths to talk rubbish perhaps because they belong to a club. It is time we realised that we are talking to humans here and not morons. That writer lied that he did not know why Ronaldo did not attend that sham of an award when the whole world knows that they went for a game which they won the next day. That Ronaldo does not shine against big clubs? It is interesting that he has exposed Barca as a weak club. It was Ronaldo who won the King’s Cup from the with a stunning headers last season. Just few days ago, Barca met Madrid home and away. Ronaldo saw the net in both games; Messi did not. What happened to the “god” of assists? Ronaldo is being sung in Portugal today unlike what Argentina does to lacklustre Messi. If Messi were that good, why has Ronaldo continued to rule the La Liga goals table since joining Spain after conquering the Premier League where he won his prestigious Ballon D’ior and Golden Boot on pure merit? Consider all known faculties of the game, Ronaldo is there as a phenomenon. Messi still has a lot to learn from Ronaldo!

    • David Nugent

      0 0

      Sorry, did Ronaldo expose Barcelona as a weak club in La Liga or the Champions League last season? The answer is no and I think it is you that needs to realise that Messi has won the last three Ballon d’Or for a reason. That reason is because he has helped his team win the big trophies. If Cristiano Ronaldo can do that this season then maybe he will be more deserving of the award but until then your argue is irrelevant. However I have a feeling that you are a Real Madrid fan, so you won’t listen to reasonable debate anyway.

  • angel joe

    0 0

    messi is good but ronaldo is better.messi has records & ronaldo has his. do i need to say dat he is presently the first & only player to win the ballon d’or award while playing for an english club, dat he presently rules la liga, dat he is self made, i hope you all know all dat. ronaldo is an asset to potugal, take xavi & iniesta out of barca &messi is nothing, dat is why to agentina he is NOTHING.

  • anuraag cr7

    0 0

    ronaldo is not only a footballer…he is not just a player he is a dynasty…he is the man to up the game…is the best in the world…messi widout xavi iniesta=bullshit…
    hala ronaldo

  • Michael

    0 0

    How can FIFA award messi as the world best player. World best that can’t change his club, if he also think he is then he should change his club as THE WORLD BEST CHRISTIANO RONALDO did. RONALDO IS THE BEST.

  • Michael

    0 0

    FIFA must not award a player who stays in one club for sooooo many years as world best, as messi is doing but rather award players that change there club and still perform well as CHRISTIANO RONALDO because CR7 can play football in any club but messi can’t.

  • campestral

    0 0

    i am 142 years old and i have played with pele and also maradona and i can tell you messi is the best ever dats true dat is and i was talking to god the other day and he said he doesn’t know where this guy came from there must be another superior god who made such a superior footballer of all time and space amen

  • russ ru

    0 0

    @ joe i do not hate messi… But really think about how xavi and iniesta influence how barcelona and spain play…. In 2010 inter milan won the champions league and spain won the world cup…. Naturally we all believed sneijder or xavi or iniesta to take the award… But somehow the politics at fifa gave messi again. Messi at most should have 2 not 3 ballon d’ors. @ angel joe u said what i’m tryin to say to joe…

  • ac dc

    0 0

    ARE YOU KIDDING ME????? messi??? huh??? why him?? cuse he break the laliga scoring ??? messi been in laliga for too many years and not break the scoring record & then ronaldo came & break it just after 1 year. messi been better becuse he has been get fantastic passes by xavi & iniesta in his early football life. I promise ronaldo is better than messi. you will see at end of the season

  • hulton england

    0 0

    NO, they should SCRAP the ballon d’or & make a new, platinum model especially for him – he’s in a different orbit, if not stratosphere, to the rest…

  • Brad

    0 0

    ummmmm. . . . did anyone get what campestral is saying? First of all, he’s saying blasphemous stuff, but that part is off topic, as is the ridiculous 142 year old part (couldn’t help but laugh though), and the equally incredible distinction of playing alongside Pele, Maradona, and Messi. Then there’s the kind of on topic part, Messi being the best ever, when he’s still got several of Pele’s records to beat.
    Xavi should’ve had it. Messi wouldn’t be on the same short list as him (or, at least, not as high up on the short-list) if it wasn’t for Xavi.

  • eke

    0 0

    what about Eto. i think he is a great player but were exactly do you place him?

    • David Nugent

      0 0

      Eto’o is a great player but I don’t think he can be placed in the same bracket as Messi. Messi is the best player of his generation but you could argue that Eto’o is probably the best player that his continent has ever produced.

  • Sele-hundred Thomas

    0 0

    Messi will do so since since he is in good position yet.

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