Ballon d'Or 2010

Not a single British player is shortlisted and only three players from the Premiership (Gyan ).

Daniel Alves (Brazil/Barcelona)
Iker Casillas (Spain/Real Madrid)
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast/Chelsea)
Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon/Internazionale)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain/Arsenal)
Diego Forlan (Uruguay/Atletico Madrid)
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana/Sunderland)
Andres Iniesta (Spain/Barcelona)
Julio Cesar (Brazil/Internazionale)
Miroslav Klose (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Philipp Lahm (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Maicon (Brazil/Internazionale)
Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)
Thomas Muller (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Mesut Ozil (Germany/Real Madrid)
Carles Puyol (Spain/Barcelona)
Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany/Bayern Munich)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands/Internazionale)
David Villa (Spain/Barcelona)
Xabi Alonso (Spain/Real Madrid)
Xavi (Spain/Barcelona)

Diego should get it.

Player of the tournament at the WC and 2 goals in the Europa League Final.

And his name isn't Messi.

Originally Posted by dunk

Diego should get it.

Player of the tournament at the WC and 2 goals in the Europa League Final.

And his name isn't Messi.

This

Iniesta will win it

Originally Posted by dunk

Diego should get it.

Player of the tournament at the WC and 2 goals in the Europa League Final.

And his name isn't Messi.

He should be up there, he had a good season with Atletico and was probably the player of the tournament at the World Cup.

Whoever made the shortlist clearly only watched the World Cup. Gyan better than Rooney?!?

Interesting that there are no French or Italian players either. Must be the first time ever that a player from England, France or Italy hasn't been shortlisted.

Ozil's in there eh, yet wouldn't have improved our squad?

I think it'll be:

1. Iniesta
2. Messi
3. Sneijder

I think it should be:

1. Iniesta
2. Ronaldo
3. Messi

by hish exceptional high standards he hasnt been as good at the start of this season but xavi should win it. IMO

Its surely between Messi, Iniesta and Sneijder. Ronaldo missed there first 10 games for Real didnt he and had a poor WC. World Cup has to count when it falls on the year. Messi had a better tournament than he gets credit for solely because he failed to notch. But didnt he hit 40 last season and 4 in a 4-1 win in a Champions League quarter, thats incredible.

Sneijders honours say it all, and his end product saw Holland right through the knockouts (I hate the term a player carried a team, theres only about 5 players in history that could do that at the highest level). If theyd won the tournament then it would have given him a huge say.

I fear Iniesta may get discounted but he should have just as good a shout as Messi imo. You cannot keep him out of a game and his consistency is crazy. Him and Xavi just grind the opposition down, Schweinsteiger and laterly Sneijder hardly got a kick against them in the semis and final and even ended up running/charging Tevez style to close down the full backs in frustration, unlike them. The winner in the WC final was also really fitting to a player whos taken it to another level over the last 3 seasons.

Hardest one to call since Henry/Ronaldinho/Fat Ronaldo were amongst the favourites in 03 or 04 whenever it was.

fwiw I think it will be:

Messi
Iniesta
Sneijder

Originally Posted by antonin jablonsky

Ozil's in there eh, yet wouldn't have improved our squad?

Yes well tbh we didn't need a (obv. gifted) player who can play in attacking midfield or left wing since we already Giggs and Park. Honestly.

Pretty fair list. Messi has a good shout, as he was ridiculously good last season. Didn’t really do it in South Africa though, so I’d think he’ll miss out. Forlan had a great season too with Atleti and Uruguay. But I think it’s a little farfetched to suggest he was the best player in the world last season.

I’d give it to Xavi. Was masterful all of last season and one of the (few) stand out players at the World Cup. Phenomenal in the semi final against Germany, made Schweinsteiger his bitch tbh.

Iniesta (who missed a chunk of the season through injury) will win it though.

If it wasn’t a World Cup year, Sneijder would almost certainly have got it. But I think Hollands approach, especially in the final, will count against him. Fantastic with Inter though, great ‘value’

Sneijder should win it for me, winning the treble, getting a relatively unfancied Holland through to the final of the World Cup & his general form & talent should be recognised.

Messi scored 47 goals last season, an utterly absurd amount & he genuinely garnered comparisons with Maradona along the way. I wouldn't agree he was poor at the World Cup, he was the width of the post away from having 3 or 4 goals to his name by the end of the tournament & it was mainly Maradona's utter tactical ineptness that denied him a chance at taking the Argies further as opposed to his contribution on the field.

Iniesta, Xavi, Diego were all brilliant as well, but who has the majority of trophies in their cabinet?

Players who shine in the world cup tend to win it.

It's like when Cannavaro won it in 2006.

Good post Baron. Like I said, I’d have no real problems with Messi winning it. He was unreal at time last season, completely unplayable. Some of those goals ffs. Also agree that Argentina hiring a nutter instead of a coach didn’t help him or his team.

Just love Xavi tbh, was one of the stand out players in La Liga and the World Cup taking home both trophies. In fact, that World Cup was the culmination of a number of years at the very top and the Ballon d’Or would be a fitting way to recognise it imo.

Tough choice this year, compared to the previous three.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

Sneijder should win it for me.

True.He was brilliant in their champions league run.

got to remember its journalists from all around the world who vote. so not all of them will have watched all the players regularly so it will be the ones who have stood out in the big games

Managers.

Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Barcelona), Joachim Löw (Germany), José Mourinho (Internazionale/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Holland), Arsène Wenger (Arsenal).

They're missing somebody though...

Originally Posted by That Boy Ronaldo!

Managers.

wtf did Wenger and Arsenal do last season to merit inclusion on that list ffs

Not sure why Fergie’s on there either, it was hardly a great season by our standards. We only won one trophy.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

wtf did Wenger and Arsenal do last season to merit inclusion on that list ffs

Not sure why Fergie’s on there either, it was hardly a great season by our standards. We only won one trophy.

tbf he did find the most value in the market