FIFA HAS NAMED the final three candidates for the 2014 Ballon d’Or.
Last year, Cristiano Ronaldo ended Lionel Messi’s dominance as the world’s best player by winning the prize for the first time. The Real Madrid star is favourite to claim it for the second consecutive year after leading the La Liga club to their tenth Champions League victory last May.
The pair are joined by Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as the three finalists at the awards ceremony in Zurich on 12 January.
Messi, the only player to have won the award four times, failed to win a title this year either with Barcelona or Argentina, although he was integral in his country reaching the World Cup final where they lost 1-0 in extra-time to Germany.
He did pick up the consolation of player of the tournament.
Neuer, who was outstanding in goal for Germany and for Bayern Munich as they won the domestic double, would be only the second goalkeeper to win the award, which is announced on January 12 in Zurich, after the then Soviet Union’s Lev Yashin.
Additional reporting by - © AFP 2014
Ronaldo had a spectacular year, but if Neuer doesn’t win it then a keeper never will. Single-handedly kept Germany in the World Cup at times, regularly pulls off world class saves, also plays as a sweeper and deep playmaker. These accolades are so heavily weighted towards goal scorers that other players are usually over looked but Neuer’s influence on his teams success was probably more telling that the other two this year…
I hope Neuer wins it. Fantastic sweeper, he acts as an extra centre back.
Looks like Platini could get a German the Ballon D’Or after all… Although he’s the only one of three to perform well at the World Cup, which is surely the acid test for top footballers.
Messi did play well at the WC to be fair. He just wasn’t the best player.
He dragged Argentina into the Quarters, then he seemed to go quiet.
Eoin it was hard to argue with the stats in the WC, he was topping the charts for chances created, successful dribbles, assists and goals, all the good stuff. It just showed how bad Argentina were that they couldn’t capitalise on it. I think it was silly to give it to him when Argentina were out fairly early but again, the stats were there.
Out fairly early? They got to the final!
As much as it would be nice to see neuer win it I don’t think you can look past ronaldo. I think ronaldo was more integral to reals european cup than neuer was for Germany’s World Cup. Messi in the top three seems a bit much. If that was a debut season for a player I dont think it would be regarded as a player in the top 3 of world football.
Prior to the weekend
Messi: 73 goals and assists for club and country in 2014
Ronaldo: 71 goals and assists for club and country in 2014
Not a bad debut season
Including this weekend:
Ronaldo – 74 for Club & Country (avg. 1.35/game)
Messi – 73 for Club and Country (avg. 1.77/game)
Ronaldo – Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup
Messi –
#ShowUsYourMedals
Apologies that should read Messi avg. 1.177/game
Has to be Messi for me, 52 goals, 21 assists so far this year and two immense records broken in the Liga and Champions League scoring. Ronaldo is just edging him on goals but considering he absolutely vanished in the Copa and CL finals it’d be tough to give it to him.
There should probably be a separate award for GK’s. How are you supposed to judge two completely different disciplines against each other?
Would like to see nouer but Ronald will win it, just too damn good
*would
Ah come on now, Johannes. That’s not the only correction you have to make there!
Ronaldo won it twice bad information and he will win it for the third time this year. If people were asked who world the three players for the shortlist be not many would say the goalkeeper.
Messi is by far the best of the three, but unfortunately, I think FIFA will decide to give it to Ronaldo, like they did last year.
Well Platini is trying his best to get people to vote elsewhere… just like Blatter last year!