2012 FIFA-FIFPro world all-star team - Messi Wins 4th Ballon Ballon d'Or

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11833/8385245/Barcelona-s-Lionel-Messi-wins-fourth-Ballon-d-Or-award-ahead-of-Cristiano-Ronaldo-and-Andres-Iniesta

Messi wins fourth in a row, ahead of ronaldo and iniesta

but look at the team

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid and Spain)

Defender: Daniel Alves (Barcelona and Brazil)

Defender: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid and Spain)

Defender: Gerard Pique (Barcelona and Spain)

Defender: Marcelo (Real Madrid and Spain)

Midfielder: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid and Spain)

Midfielder: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain)

Midfielder: Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona and Spain)

Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)

Forward: Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid and Colombia)

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)

1 non Real Madrid or Barca player, are they that good or in your opinion is there some bias?

6 Madrid Players, 5 Barca Players, Worlds best team = 2 cities
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My world Team Falcao can replace RVP, but seen more of Robin so put him in


-------------------Buffon ------------------

---Alves -- Chiellini -- Kompany -- Cole---

---------- Xavi --- Pirlo --- Iniesta --------

----- Messi --------------------Ronaldo ---
----------------Van Persie-----------------

The back 5 and Alonso should not be in that team

Fernando wrote:The back 5 and Alonso should not be in that team

who would you replace alonso with, out of the back four maybe Alves deserve to be there, Buffon in my opinion played better than casillas

Not a Chelsea fan but surely the best defensive team (park bus and snatch a goal) to win the champions league should a one or defenders in that team?

Seen this one twitter last night.

Messi wins Ballon d'Or. Gareth Bale wins Fallon d'Floor.

Can't really be any bias in it can there? It's voted by football people all over the world. However, I do think it's more of a popularity vote than anything else. Messi deserves the Ballon d'Or no doubt, but the whole thing being made up entirely of La Liga players is a bit strange, especially when none of them were near the Champions League final.

I'm a huge fan of Alonso, but agree that he probably shouldn't be in the team, I'd have had Pirlo in that team who was the core of Juventus and Italy last year and both were very successful. I thought Pirlo was the player of Euro 2012 to be honest.

I'd have thought Ashley Cole is a better option at left back than Marcelo, one of the star defensive performers of the Champions League winners.

It's not surprising though.

As for Messi winning the Ballon D'Or, it's difficult to argue with it, but I thought this year Ronaldo would have been much closer as Messi didn't win anything.

Interesting to see that Casillas voted Ramos ahead of Ronaldo. I suppose he'll know first hand how selfish Ronaldo can be, he literally just shoots every time he gets the ball.

Also Casillas in ahead of Buffon is a tragedy, Buffon has always been the better goalkeeper but maybe hasn't quite got the exposure with Juventus patchy performances in Europe since 2003.

even though suarez dives more than bale.

i go by the anology that if a car clips another doing 70mph, the car will lose control. if a car clips a another car doing 30mph it wont do alot. if we talk ratio's then bale is the equivalent of a 70mph car. bale runs at such a pace that a clip can easily take him off balance. i admit bale has dived on the odd occasion, but more often than not he is actually fouled and most fail to see the science.. or is it maths?

anyone who watches la liga week in, week out will know how badly sergio ramos defends. Marcelo, best left back in the world......embarrasing decision. Xabi Alonso is never in the top three midfielders in the world, he has been in decline for the past two seasons. Also Pique has missed a huge chunk of football in the past twelve months in comparison to Kompany who was huge for City in 2011/12 campaign.

There'a case for Neuer (world class keeper, who has not been dropped from him club side, unlike Casillas), Ashley Cole (winning the champions league, F.A Cup & being part of the solid english defence at the Euro's), Yaya Toure (basically the heartbeat of the Man City team in guiding them to the EPL), Van Persie (unbelievable two seasons & in his prime) & Falcao

Neuer - Bayern

Piszczek - Dortmund (massively overlooked, quality right-back)
Kompany - Man City
Hummels - Dortmund
Ashley Cole - Chelsea

Yaya Toure - Man City
Xavi - Barcelona
Iniesta - Barcelona

Van Persie - Man Utd
Messi - Barcelona
Ronaldo - Real Madrid

World XI

Crimey wrote:I'm a huge fan of Alonso, but agree that he probably shouldn't be in the team, I'd have had Pirlo in that team who was the core of Juventus and Italy last year and both were very successful. I thought Pirlo was the player of Euro 2012 to be honest.

I'd have thought Ashley Cole is a better option at left back than Marcelo, one of the star defensive performers of the Champions League winners.

It's not surprising though.

As for Messi winning the Ballon D'Or, it's difficult to argue with it, but I thought this year Ronaldo would have been much closer as Messi didn't win anything.

Good post, forgot about Pirlo, he should be in the team, Personally Messi>Ronaldo, but this year I would have give it Ronaldo, Messi didnt win anything, Ronaldo did, he led portugal as well to a somewhat successful campaign. He finally stepped up as a player and more importantly as a Captain in internationals, but it is more about popularity, Messi>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ronaldo when it comes to that, ones humble and thanks everyone else, one says he's great - if you think about it (Ronaldo is being honest and messi Lies all the time, when he credits so many players). Barca have a better team, better playmakers than Real Madrid, Iniesta, Xavi and fabregas all value the pass more than the Madrid mid fielders.

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/8386090/Ballot-box-opened

The World team is a joke. Neuer? Cole? Kompany? Lahm? Pirlo? Toure? Mata? RVP? Bale?

I love how biased all those votes are, they always vote for a fellow countryman, clubman, even Gerrard voted for Alonso his old clubmate.

Got to say I've always felt that the Ballon D'Or should look at achievements for the year as much as pure subjective opinion on who is the best. Messi and Ronaldo are clearly the 2 contenders for best in the world and in 2012, Ronaldo won La Liga & the Spanish Super Cup & reached the semis of a international tournament, where as Messi only won the Copa del Rey with Barca and did nothing of significance for Argentina. Still Messi broke that astonishing goals in a year record so he does have that, surprised that the margain of victory was so comprehensivly Messi though.

Still maintian Sneijder should have won in 2010 though.

You'd figure 2 teams composed of the 10 best players in the world at their positions, 1 would've been playing in the CL final.

That defense is jokes.

Definite definite bias. Defence absurd in particular. Pique did not go from top-level fringe player to world class, he is good but helped by the fact the guys in front of him give the ball away so little. Marcelo also, good attacker, average defender.

In short the list is a joke.

And I think Ronaldo should've won the award, as per Dr House, as it is usually achievement based and Messi hasn't done enough (IMO) this/last season.

JamesLincs wrote:even though suarez dives more than bale.

i go by the anology that if a car clips another doing 70mph, the car will lose control. if a car clips a another car doing 30mph it wont do alot. if we talk ratio's then bale is the equivalent of a 70mph car. bale runs at such a pace that a clip can easily take him off balance. i admit bale has dived on the odd occasion, but more often than not he is actually fouled and most fail to see the science.. or is it maths?

Give me strength...

Why do people keep making excuses for blatant divers. It only encourages them to continue cheating.

How can people say Messi hasn't done anything this year to deserve it? he's just scored the most goals in a calender year and people still debate it? Ronaldo is superb but hasn't been close to Messi last year. Just because Ronaldo won something doesn't mean he deserved it.

RVP and Falcao is a close one but I'd give it to Falcao for scoring in the Uefa Final, 2 fantastic strikes and basically carried his side to glory, plus scoring a first half hat trick to sink Chelsea in the super cup.

Pique has been awful for Barca, don't know how he got in ahead of Kompany. Alonso has had another great year for Madrid, although I would agree, without Toure I don't think City would have got near.

Liam wrote:How can people say Messi hasn't done anything this year to deserve it? he's just scored the most goals in a calender year and people still debate it? Ronaldo is superb but hasn't been close to Messi last year. Just because Ronaldo won something doesn't mean he deserved it.

RVP and Falcao is a close one but I'd give it to Falcao for scoring in the Uefa Final, 2 fantastic strikes and basically carried his side to glory, plus scoring a first half hat trick to sink Chelsea in the super cup.

Pique has been awful for Barca, don't know how he got in ahead of Kompany. Alonso has had another great year for Madrid, although I would agree, without Toure I don't think City would have got near.

I think people are getting at it should have closer, messi did outstanding as an individual, better than ronaldo, but the overall team performance needs to be taken into account especially considering Messi plays for the better team.


Buffon - better than anyone else, every time i've seen him play he seems to be very calm and excellent handling and positioning

D. Alves- (very attacking but still good player)
V. Kompany -
???? not sure who to put in as a CB
A. Cole -

A. Pirlo- some of the things he has done this has been genius
Xavi - Very accurate Passing
Iniesta - Very accurate Passing

Messi
Van Persie/Falcao -
Ronaldo -

-------------------Buffon ------------------

----Alves -- Chiellini -- Kompany -- Cole----

---------- Xavi --- Pirlo --- Iniesta ---------

----- Messi --------------------Ronaldo ----
----------------Van Persie------------------

ridiclous that the whole side is from La liga, really is!!

this would be my side

----------------------Hart------------------

---Alves-----Chiellini (c)---Kompany-----Cole-----

----------------------------Xavi----------------------------------

----------Silva-----------Iniestia--------------Messi--------------

-----------------------Ronaldo-----------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------van Persie-------------------------------

CF wrote:ridiclous that the whole side is from La liga, really is!!

this would be my side

----------------------Hart------------------

---Alves-----Chiellini (c)---Kompany-----Cole-----

----------------------------Xavi----------------------------------

----------Silva-----------Iniestia--------------Messi--------------

-----------------------Ronaldo-----------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------van Persie-------------------------------

6 Madrid players, 5 Barcelona players - not really a wide selection - 2 cities, good pick with chiellini

For me, Pirlo has to be in the team, he's the most obvious name missing out. I think people selecting the likes of Hart and Kompany are suffering from Premier League bias, while they were driving forces in the Premier League, they performed poorly in Europe.

Chiellini at CB?

I think any person whos watched both would struggle to make an argument for Marcelo over Cole at LB.

Crimey wrote:For me, Pirlo has to be in the team, he's the most obvious name missing out. I think people selecting the likes of Hart and Kompany are suffering from Premier League bias, while they were driving forces in the Premier League, they performed poorly in Europe.

hart shouldnt be their, but kompany was deserves to be there in my opinion, Pirlo has to be there, everytime i've seen him play he plays great, he is so calm on the ball, this season he played near his absolute best

GSC wrote:Chiellini at CB?

I think any person whos watched both would struggle to make an argument for Marcelo over Cole at LB.

His played well for juve everytime I saw him, I agree easily Cole >> Marcelo - Marcelo is a Rafael level of player, good but not World XI good