Ballon D'Or shortlist

MD1990

Cristiano Ronaldo started training earlier than the others & trained alone with Rui Faria before leaving for Zurich for the Ballon d'Or gala

Ronaldo really is a great professional
would like to see him win it but it will be Messi

eagle eye

It should be Messi for sure but I have a feeling that its going to be Iniesta.

Blatter

eagle eye wrote: »

It should be Messi for sure but I have a feeling that its going to be Iniesta.

You can get 20/1 on it being Iniesta....I'm sure it'll be Messi.

BetterCallSaul

Live stream for anyone interested.

Iang87

it'll be a disgrace if messi doesnt get this award, although with FIFA you'd never

Rekop dog

Lol gtfo, team of the year made up entirely of la liga players. Pique lol

MD1990

Rekop dog wrote: »

Lol gtfo, team of the year made up entirely of la liga players. Pique lol

its a joke having Alves & Pique in the team

Rekop dog

Pirlo royally shafted tbh.

Dempsey

That World XI would be some team to see play!

kryogen

Was there anybody in the fifpro world XI outside la liga?

Jimmy Iovine

Pique is a good player, but (and this is probably going to be controversial) I think he's held in a higher regard because he's part of an iconic Barcelona team. That Barca defence is dodgy as. It helps that they have some of the greatest ball players of all time ahead of them. Take them out and they cave under pressure.

dfx-

Pique is an excellent defender, worthy of a spot. But he has had a shocking 18 months.

MD1990

dfx- wrote: »

Pique is an excellent defender, worthy of a spot. But he has had a shocking 18 months.

that makes no sense at all

kryogen

The world 11 was a bit of a joke tbh, come on ronnie for the main (i know it will be messi again but he deserves it)

MD1990

Iang87 wrote: »

it'll be a disgrace if messi doesnt get this award, although with FIFA you'd never

i don't agree
i think Ronaldo is worthy of it in 2012
even though Messi is better

Legwinski

Exact same team as last year except Vidic>Marcelo and Rooney>Falcao.

Anyone know if the formation was fixed at 4-3-3 or could it have been 3-4-3?

764dak

kryogen wrote: »

Was there anybody in the fifpro world XI outside la liga?

None of play outside of Barcelona or Madrid (Real and Atletico).

Tox56

La Liga bias going on here? Half the defenders in the world XI come from one of the dodgiest defences around (for a top team anyway). Pep Guardiola getting nominated for winning 1 trophy with arguably the greatest club team of all time.

Pinturicchio

Juventus went last season unbeaten but don't have a single player in the team of the year.

MD1990

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Juventus went last season unbeaten but don't have a single player in the team of the year.

& alot of the Juventus team made the Euro 2012 final too

Iang87

MD1990 wrote: »

i don't agree
i think Ronaldo is worthy of it in 2012
even though Messi is better

Fair enough point at least you dont let breaking nearly every individual record in football cloud your judgement

Rekop dog

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Juventus went last season unbeaten but don't have a single player in the team of the year.

And many of those helped Italy to to the Euro cup final too giving them further claims. Like neither Real or Barca even the the champions league final. You'd swear they left everyone else in their dust going by the domination.

elefant

what's the team?

kryogen

Its actually a disgrace how a couple of the juve players were ignored. For some reason that team of the year has pissed me right off, kompany ignored too? When pique gets in? **** off

Mr.Nice Guy

Would be hilarious if Sky showed this programme with Ray and Jamie commenting on it afterwards. Best league in the world...

RandolphEsq

Iniesta you sexy beast.

Rekop dog

There should be a special yearly Zlatan award, celebrating everything Zlatan.

carlop

It's a shame that you can only have 3 strikers because RVP has had an incredible year, one that would have given him a good chance at winning the Balon D'Or in a non-Messi, non-major tournament year.

You'd have to say Chelsea and Bayern players can feel a bit hard done by too, to go along with the aforementioned Italians at Juve.

Maybe Lahm could have got one of the full-back slots and Chiellini or Bonucci at CB instead of Pique.

Maybe Cech in nets instead of Real Madrid's sub goalie?

Dempsey

Stoch or Falcao for the Puskas Award, 2 exceptional goals.

Red Crow

Piqué is somehow becoming one of the most overrated players lately.

missingtime

elefant wrote: »

what's the team?

BALLON D'OR
Here's the full Fifa/FIFPro World XI:

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas

Defenders: Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta

Forwards: Lionel Messi, Radomel Falcao, Cristiano Ronaldo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/20929928

RandolphEsq

Dempsey wrote: »

Stoch or Falcao for the Puskas Award, 2 exceptional goals.

I voted for El Tigre

RandolphEsq

Messi montage, **** time.

Pinturicchio

carlop wrote: »

Maybe Lahm could have got one of the full-back slots and Chiellini or Bonucci at CB instead of Pique.

Barzagli was the best defender in Europe last season IMO. Definitely better than Chiellini and Bonucci.

Andersonisgod

I think it's tough to argue with anyone on that team. Piquenbauer had a stirring European Championships and has been in top form this season. Alves is probably the most debatable but there's hardly any real outstanding choice for right back anyway. All in all I'd say the right choices.

carlop

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Barzagli was the best defender in Europe last season IMO. Definitely better than Chiellini and Bonucci.

I knew when I was writing that I was forgetting someone and would be called up on it. I probably don't watch enough of Juve to make a decision one way or another so I'll take your word for it.

Rekop dog

Surprised shakira didn't get the nod to do the musical performance.

Thatsfootball

Must say that although a Utd fan, Kompany deserved to make that team. Was absolutely immense last season.
Same with Pirlo, how someone who wins player of the tournament at international level which contains 2 of the 3 nominees for POTY isn't chosen in the team is shocking! Even anyone form Juve during the unbeaten season!

Tox56

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Would be hilarious if Sky showed this programme with Ray and Jamie commenting on it afterwards. Best league in the world...

If you were going from past World XI's, in the mid-00's you would have had a very good argument to say the PL was the best league in the world at that time

Andersonisgod

Thatsfootball wrote: »

Must say that although a Utd fan, Kompany deserved to make that team. Was absolutely immense last season.
Same with Pirlo, how someone who wins player of the tournament at international level which contains 2 of the 3 nominees for POTY isn't chosen in the team is shocking! Even anyone form Juve during the unbeaten season!

I'm almost sure Andres Iniesta was awarded player of the tournament at Euro 2012.

RandolphEsq

I'd like to see Messi, Ronaldo and Iniesta chat like this.

tayto lover

Messi is light years ahead of the rest.
No players from the EPL shows that they go for technical ability more than anything else.

RandolphEsq

Blatter the perve following Hope Solo around.

super_furry

Given the year he's had, it's impossible to see past Messi. I expect the 'Unhappy Ronaldo to United' stories to resurface after that.

Rekop dog

This was supposed to be a woman's award right?

Nuri Sahin

Not one Bundesliga player heh, not surprising.

Mr.Nice Guy

Everyone's just waiting for Ronaldo's reaction to Messi's win.

Nuri Sahin

Messi wins.

Gadge

Lol Cannavarro. with the camera fixed on him for a long time, he looks around and says "So? What you want?".

RandolphEsq

Hopefully everyone chants "Messi, Messi, Messi" repeatedly when he goes up to collect his award.