Messi or Ronaldo - Who's best

[shark]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

So how is the voting done? Salah is in the 3 if not higher

Journalists vote on it I think. Seems to be a similar scenario for when Giggs won POTY - more recognition of him finally winning a trophy for Argentina as opposed to being the best player in the world in 2021.

I doubt very much if very many people outside of football nerds can definitively state who was the best player over 2021. In any case even if you watched every single match, the opinion is still subjective and depends on how you view football. However plenty seem to want to offer an opinion irrespective of how many games they have actually watched.

If you are basing it purely on goalscoring statistics without viewing the actual matches, then Lewandowski is the clear winner for the last calendar year but then you have to consider a whole range of factors such as his role in the team, level of opposition, contribution to team success, general influence on matches etc. Aesthetically Lewandowski is definitely not the most exciting player since he is simply an out and out finisher whereas Messi is an all round wizard and I imagine that is probably what has been the single biggest factor in him winning the award again together with the weight often placed on international tournaments.     

This will always be the case when trying to compare individual performers in a team sport. It should be viewed as no more than a novelty award - just like all-stars in GAA. It's just people's opinions. In the past few years it seems to have gained more and more column inches, and I personally don't understand why. But at least for Ballon d'Or all the best players can be assessed on a relatively equal footing, as they all play for top teams.

[Milltown Row2]

Would the opinions not be better from your peers than Journo's?

[Mike Tyson]

Is this based on last season or the year 2021?

The calendar year. Lewandowski was robbed for 2020 since they cancelled it.

Then it's ridiculous. Messi has been average for the second half of the year. 1 league goal in 16 league games! But he sells shirts so that's the main thing.

Salah deserves better than 7th.

So how is the voting done? Salah is in the 3 if not higher

Journalists vote on it I think. Seems to be a similar scenario for when Giggs won POTY - more recognition of him finally winning a trophy for Argentina as opposed to being the best player in the world in 2021.

I doubt very much if very many people outside of football nerds can definitively state who was the best player over 2021. In any case even if you watched every single match, the opinion is still subjective and depends on how you view football. However plenty seem to want to offer an opinion irrespective of how many games they have actually watched.

If you are basing it purely on goalscoring statistics without viewing the actual matches, then Lewandowski is the clear winner for the last calendar year but then you have to consider a whole range of factors such as his role in the team, level of opposition, contribution to team success, general influence on matches etc. Aesthetically Lewandowski is definitely not the most exciting player since he is simply an out and out finisher whereas Messi is an all round wizard and I imagine that is probably what has been the single biggest factor in him winning the award again together with the weight often placed on international tournaments.     

I would wager that it's the latter of your points which won him the award and the fact that he is Messi and a media darling, not the fact he was the best player in the world the last year. Watched him in the Champions League & the big games in Spain and he was nothing special, admittedly a small sample size! Salah on the other hand has been mesmerizing to watch in nearly every game he has played.

As you point out its all subjective. Maybe the impossibly high standards he has set previous is what most people are judging him against and pre-2008 this season would have been seen as a wonder season. For all that, Nedved winning it over Henry in 2003 was a laugh as was Modric 2018 so best not to take these things too seriously and judge a player on them.

[toby47]

This could be the last Ballon D'or Messi or Ronaldo wins. Could well be the end of an era.

Haaland/Salah/Haaland/Mbappe & Lewandowski will be the favourites outside of Messi/Ronaldo to win one.

[toby47]

Debate looks to be settled?

[Milltown Row2]

Debate looks to be settled?

To be fair, they are two separate players with totally different skill sets, both have amazing stats and its all down to preference

[yellowcard]

Totally different footballers with almost entirely different skill sets apart from the goalscoring numbers. Messi the ultimate technician who was capable of doing things with a football that no other player of his era could accomplish. Equally creative as he was at finishing goals and won the trophies to match. Ronaldo probably the best header of a ball and possibly the best finisher in front of goal ever seen. Athletically strong and transformed his game from a tricky winger into a supreme box player. Won the trophies to match. Both players also had remarkable consistency and longevity and rarely got injured.

Aesthetically I don't think anyone could argue that Messi was the superior player and that is what settles it for me. He could do things with a football that we may not see again for a long time. Ronaldos numbers were unbelievable and he was very good at almost every facet of the game but just not in a jaw dropping way like Messi. The last 3 weeks are a subset of a handful of matches and shouldn't sway the argument either way but Messi has surprised me with the level of his performance at this stage of his career. The fact that he is still the standout player of this world cup does highlight the lack of individual flair that exists below the surface though. You can talk about players like Haaland, Lewandowski, Salah, Mbappe, Neymar etc but they look like mere mortals when placed alongside Messi.     

[tbrick18]

Who cares.

[RedHand88]

Who cares.

Messi is the GOAT. Penaldo has been exposed as a FRAUD and a tinpot player.
Messi is levels.
/sarcasm

In all seriousness isn't this a debate for 10 year old boys on Twitter?

[Armagh18]

Who cares.

Messi is the GOAT. Penaldo has been exposed as a FRAUD and a tinpot player.
Messi is levels.
/sarcasm

In all seriousness isn't this a debate for 10 year old boys on Twitter?

Of course it is. Out on their own in terms of what they've achieved. Likes of Maradonna, Brazil Ronaldo, Best and Ronaldinho probably had as much talent and at their absolute best were comparable to Messi and Ronaldo but no one else has been consistently as good for 15 plus years.

[GiveItToTheShooters]

Debate looks to be settled?

There was never one in the first place.

[Milltown Row2]

Like arguing over Superman being better than Ironman 

[Sportacus]

Who cares.

Messi is the GOAT. Penaldo has been exposed as a FRAUD and a tinpot player.
Messi is levels.
/sarcasm

In all seriousness isn't this a debate for 10 year old boys on Twitter?

Of course it is. Out on their own in terms of what they've achieved. Likes of Maradonna, Brazil Ronaldo, Best and Ronaldinho probably had as much talent and at their absolute best were comparable to Messi and Ronaldo but no one else has been consistently as good for 15 plus years.

At their absolute best, I'd still go with Maradona, but overall I think Messi has earned the title.  And if he wins the World Cup then it's game over.  Ronaldo has worked hard and had a great career, but he's not on the Messi / Maradona shelf.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Maradona. Close thread.

[bennydorano]

Sick listening to all the shite talk about these pair over the years. Neither of them could lace Zidane's boots imo.