28 March 2024, Thursday, 21:38
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Ronaldo wins third Fifa Ballon d'Or

Ronaldo wins third Fifa Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid forward trounces arch rival Lionel Messi, who uses event to cast doubt on his future at Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo trounced Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or ballot on a day used by Barcelona’s beaten megastar to cast fresh doubt on his future in Catalonia. Part Hollywood premiere, part political platform, Fifa’s awards night confirmed above all that this is the age of CR7, who polled 37.66 per cent of the votes compared to Messi’s 15.76 per cent. Neither Messi nor Ronaldo voted for one another, telegraph.co.uk reports.

A measure of Ronaldo’s standing among the national team captains, coaches and journalists who voted is that Messi struggled to hold second place against Manuel Neuer, Germany’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper, who scored 15.72 per cent Ronaldo will reward himself with a new micro-diamond encrusted CR7 logo for his boots. Messi said of Ronaldo’s victory: “Yes, it’s justified. It was deserved.”

World Coach of the Year was Neuer’s national team manager, Joachim Low, and the Puskas Award for best goal went to James Rodríguez for his artistic volley for Columbia at the World Cup.

Rodríguez stopped the Stephanie Roche bandwagon. Roche, the first woman to be nominated, scored her outrageous three-stage volley for Peamount United against Wexford Youths in Ireland’s Bus Eireann National League in front of 95 spectators.

The decisive card for Ronaldo in his long poker game with Messi was his role in Real Madrid’s yearned-for 10th European crown – and their first for 12 years – in a campaign that brought him a record-breaking 17 goals, beating Messi’s previous best of 15. Ronaldo scored 61 times for club and country in 2014 and won four trophies.

Related Articles

Opta pointed out that Cristiano Ronaldo has had 57 shots on target in La Liga this season – one more than the entire Aston Villa team in the Premier League.

However, there was a deeper resonance in his triumph over Messi. It expressed the shift in power from Barcelona to Real Madrid and the political complications besetting Messi, who chose an event streamed around the world to say: “I am not sure where I will be next year. I have always said I will end my career at Barcelona but as Cristiano said, only God knows the future. Things in football can change overnight.”

Later he attempted to play down those comments, but seasoned observers in Spain said that he would have killed the question about what the future holds, had he not intended to renew his warning to Barcelona, where the coach, Luis Enrique, is under severe pressure. Chelsea and Manchester City are among the few viable destinations should Messi’s relationship with Barca break down.

After the 3-1 victory against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, Messi claimed on Barcelona’s own TV channel: “I haven’t asked for anything to stay here because I have never wanted to go anywhere else.” This was a reference to reports that he has asked for Enrique to be sacked. “I have also heard that my father has spoken to Chelsea and City but it’s all lies.”

There is no such turmoil in Ronaldo’s career. “To listen to Messi say those things about me was very good. I think the same about him. Maybe he’s made me become a better player. I hope he keeps playing for many, many years, to motivate me to win individual things and things for the club too. It’s more difficult to keep winning this trophy. The hardest thing is to be consistent. I’m playing all year – working, working, working – and it’s hard. Staying on top is harder than getting there, but it’s good. It gives me motivation to keep on getting better all the time.”

Ronaldo is now only one Ballon d’Or title behind Messi, who leads 4‑3, and has revived the 1950s at the Bernabéu. Alfred Di Stéfano won the equivalent award in 1957 and 1959, while Raymond Kopa filled the gap in 1958. Luis Figo (2000), the Brazilian Ronaldo (2002) and Fabio Cannavaro (2006) were other Real Madrid winners.

Low saw off Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti, the two Madrid coaches who won La Liga and the Champions League respectively. The vote reflected Germany’s achievement in becoming the first European team to win a World Cup on the American continents. To do so, they beat Portugal, France, Brazil (7-1) and Argentina in the final. Joachim Low received 36.23 per cent of all votes, Ancelotti 22.06 per cent and Simeone 19.02 per cent.

The Fifa Fair Play Award went to the ‘volunteers’ at all international tournaments. World Coach of the year for women’s football was Ralph Kellerman and best player was Germany’s Nadine Kessler. Japanese journalist Hiroshi Kagawa won the President’s Award.

The Fifa-FIFPro Team of the Year provoked ridicule, with David Luiz among the defenders. Luiz, who played in Brazil’s 7-1 defeat to Germany, was chosen alongside Thiago Silva, who missed that game through suspension.

Neymar and Rodriguez both missed out but the Premier League managed one representative – Angel di Maria, for his efforts with Real Madrid and Argentina. The team was: Neuer; Ramos, Lahm, Luiz, Thiago Silva; Iniesta, Kroos, Di Maria; Ronaldo, Messi, Robben.

Write your comment

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts