Ballon d'Or 2025

51 G+A in 53 games and 5 trophies won makes him more than a worthy winner, imo.

 

Have to say even when I saw him play he still looked a bit * at times, admittedly never saw really any Ligue 1, but fk me that wouldnt count much towards the award.

But guess as itbwas quite a poor year then maybe, but honestly think there was 3 players in his very team better than him, just not a forward.

Hakimi, Vitinha and Mendez.

 

This price has always been a joke imo. Especially in recent years.

 

He's not close to the best player on the planet, but in terms of output and importance to a dominant team, you can't argue with it.

I'd personally have given it to Nuno Mendes. Easily the best in his position across the year - won the lot, including scoring in the Nations League final. Pocketed every winger he came up against including Yamal and Salah.

 

It's not really anything but a marketing award - players & fans know who the BPOTY is every year, even when CR was gaming it for himself in the Messi era

The rankings alone shows you there are 'journalists' who vote who have no business weighing in - Vini ahead of Lewandowski when he won nothing and had inferior individual stats as well tells you everything, Pedri not even in the top 10

And what was it, 3 hrs long last night? Milking every penny they can

 

It kinda is to an extent. If it wasn't, Messi would have about 7 more in his trophy room .

Not saying I agree with it, but it's been about output and marketing as much as it has been ability since like forever.

 

I do think it should simply just be who is the best player in the world rather than who was good in a team that done better than usual.

I'd also give it out at the end of the season, end of the club season in June normally but in World Cup/Euros years then after them.

This would be my real winners

1999 Rivaldo
2000 Zidane
2001 Zidane
2002 Ronaldo
2003 Zidane
2004 Ronaldinho
2005 Ronaldinho
2006 Ronaldinho
2007 Kaka
2008 C.Ronaldo
2009 Messi
2010 Messi
2011 Messi
2012 Messi
2013 Messi
2014 Messi
2015 Messi
2016 Messi
2017 Messi
2018 Messi
2019 Messi
2020 Messi
2021 Messi
2022 Messi
2023 Rodri
2024 Rodri
2025 Yamal

I'd have went Yamal and it would probably have been out of Pedri and Yamal, I like Vitinha as well but I just couldn't have him as good as Pedri. Then the other guys would be Hakimi and Mendes who although full-backs i'd say are the best in their positions.

Yamal just as when I think who is the best in the world the now it is him, the way he tore apart Real Madrid, Inter and other CL teams consistently last season, taking the game to teams and on the back of the Euros last year as well where he was great also.

 

It's ridiculously biased towards attacking players (not that Messi doesn't deserve every one he has won) as frankly I would have rated Maldini as the best player most years that he was active into his mid-thirties. His ability to stop every attacker he came up against was absurd.